Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: The Series
by sarahthemage
Summary: What if there were one more character in the 5D's series? What if she left the Satellite with Jack? What if she became best friends with Akiza long before the Fortune Cup? See what struggles she faces and how the story would change. Rating might go up in later chapters. OC x Kalin, Yusei x Akiza
1. Meet my OC, Rin Lockwood

**Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's: The Series**

 **Authors Note** : This part is a description and back story for my OC in this story. The first actual chapter should be up in a few days. Also, for those also reading my other _5D's_ story, I will continue the story. It will be on a different update schedule, though. The update schedule for both stories will be posted on my profile later today.

 **Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's_ or anything pertaining to it. I only own my OC.

* * *

Name: Rin Lockwood, known as Rin Atlas in New Domino City

Age: 21

Birthday: January 15th

Place of Birth: Satellite

Deck: Spellcaster/Warrior

Relatives: None

Looks: Light purple eyes, pale skin and shoulder-length dark blonde hair. Her hair used to reach her mid-back, but she cut it when she came to the city. She wears a sapphire blue tank top, black denim jeans, black leather jacket and boots, sapphire blue fingerless gloves, and two necklaces; a sapphire blue choker and a silver locket.

Back Story: Rin was found by Martha as an infant with nothing but a duel deck and a silver locket; it held a picture of Rin's deceased parents in one side and her name carved into the other. Martha brought her home and raised her among the other children, including Jack, Crow and Yusei. Jack took an instant liking to Rin and became her "older brother". As she got older, Rin was shy and tended to stay near Jack or Martha, so Jack introduced her to Yusei and Crow. They eventually became best friends and Yusei became a second brother to Rin. The boys taught her to duel, while Martha taught her to cook as soon as she was old enough to learn.

When Rin was ten years old, she and the boys met and befriended Kalin Kessler. Together, the five of them formed their own duel gang and then Team Satisfaction. At age 15, Rin and Kalin developed romantic feelings for each other and became a couple. After the duel gangs had been defeated and the team started targeting anyone with a duel disk, Crow and Jack left while Rin and Yusei stayed with Kalin. However, when Kalin decided to target Sector Security, Rin ended their relationship and left with Yusei. She never saw Kalin again, but the others told her what he had happened and she had been devastated.

After that she hardly ever left Jack's side and was never really happy again. Three years past, then one day Jack asked her to meet him at the garbage pipeline at a certain time and she did. When Jack arrived, he was riding a duel runner and told her to get on and that he had found a way to make their lives better. Together, they went to the city through the pipeline. Upon reaching the city, they were given new pasts and Rin Lockwood became Rin Atlas, Jack's little sister, and Jack became the Turbo Duel Champion. Things were good until one day when Rin found Yusei's "Stardust Dragon" in Jack's deck. That was when she realized that Jack had stolen it and the runner that Yusei had bulid, and she was furious. Rin confronted Jack that night, they got in a heated argument, and she left deciding to live her life as Rin Lockwood on the streets of New Domino rather than stay with Jack and continue living a lie.

A few days later, she met Akiza Izinski. As time went by, the two became the best of friends, practically sisters. Rin accepted Akiza, psychic powers and all and Akiza helped Rin get a job as head chef at the Arcadia Movement. For the first time since she lost Kalin, Rin was truly happy. The next three years past in relative ease until one day…

* * *

That is the description and back story. Please review and tell me what you think of Rin from this description and if there is anything you think I could do/add to improve her. If you are wondering, the time frames given above are not certain. I don't know the exact ages and time of the characters and events. If anyone knows with 100% certainty how old the characters were please tell me. As of right now, I am assuming that the boys are all the same age and that Akiza is either the same age as or a year younger than Rin.

Also, this will be a Kalin X OC story. Kalin himself will not make an appearance until the Dark Signer ark begins however Rin's feelings for him may or may not be mentioned a few times before then.


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

 **Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's_ , its plot, settings, characters or cards. I only own Rin.

* * *

It was midnight. Rin Lockwood lay in her bed trying to sleep. Eventually, she sighed, got out of bed and walked onto her balcony. She had a lot on her mind. Earlier in the day, Rin had told her best friend, Akiza, the truth of her origins; that she was from Satellite. Rin was pleasantly surprised and grateful that Akiza's opinion of her hadn't changed, however their conversation had brought about old memories for Rin.

Memories of her family and friends that were still in Satellite. She thought of Martha, the woman she saw as a mother. Marth had found her as an infant and had raised her for years. She even owed her current job to Martha, who had taught her to cook from a young age. She thought of the children, all of whom had looked up to her and whom she had thought of as younger siblings. Most of all she thought of her friends: Jack, Yusei, Crow and Kalin. Rin remembered the last time she had seen each of the boys.

First was Kalin, her dead ex-boyfriend. She had loved him with all her heart, but he had changed. She still remembered what she said to him last time she saw him. _She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Kalin wanted to take down Sector Security?! She had dealt with all his previous plans despite not liking them, but now he had crossed a line. "Kalin, you can't be serious! I hate Security just as much as you do, but the only thing that can come of this plan is more pain and suffering! Even you must see that?!" She begged him to see reason, but he wouldn't listen. "Who are you? Because the man I fell in love with wouldn't do this. If this is who you really are, Kalin, then I want no part of it. We're done,"_ _She said in tears before she ran out._ Despite her words, Kalin had went after Security anyway. In the end he was arrested and taken to the facility, where he died while incarcerated.

Next, was Crow. He had been a great friend and the two had taken it upon themselves to care for and protect the children of Satellite. She smiled at her last memory of him. _Rin was on her way to Crow's hideout to visit the Children there. She hadn't seen them in a while and she missed them. When she arrived, though, she ran into Crow. "Well, look who finally decided to show up. Took ya long enough, too. The kids have been askin' me when you were gonna visit 'em again," Crow said with a grin. Before she could answer, the kids chose that moment to run out and hug her. She and Crow spent the rest of the day playing with them._ She often wondered how Crow was managing to take of all the kids, but knowing him she was sure he had found a way.

Then, she thought of Yusei. He was like a brother to her, and was always willing to help when she need it and so were his friends. _Rin had been taking a walk to clear her head when she felt someone run into her. She smiled when she saw it was Rally, a friend of both her and Yusei. Somehow, Rally had convinced her to come with him back to the abandoned subway tunnel that Yusei and his friends called home. Once there, Rally and the others left to go find parts. It turned out that Yusei had been planning to build a Duel Runner and his friends were helping him find some parts, even though he didn't have a design yet. So Rin sat down with him and together the two came up with two different Runner designs, the main design and a backup in case something went wrong._ She had enjoyed helping Yusei design his Runner. However, he had never let her see it while he was building it. She never saw him again after that.

Finally, she thought of Jack. He had been her older brother since Martha had found her as a baby. He always tried to protect her and wanted the best for her. However, she never thought he would stoop so low. _She was waiting for all the 'help' to leave before she confronted him. Earlier she had found Yusei's 'Stardust Dragon' card among Jack's other cards and became suspicious of how he acquired it and the Runner they used to get to the city. Once they were alone, she asked him the question she needed the answer to, "You stole 'Stardust Dragon' and the Duel Runner from Yusei, didn't you?" She saw him tense, which was proof enough that she was right. Then the heated argument began as she knew it would. "If you hate living a lie so much, then leave! The door's right there!" he told her angrily. "Fine, then. I will!" She shouted back before grabbing the bag she had packed and hidden earlier and storming out._ Aside from his televised duels, she hadn't seen Jack since she left. And until he got off his high horse and apologized, it would stay that way.

"Are you alright, milady? You seem bothered by something." Rin turned to see the transparent form of one of her closest friends, Magician's Valkyria. Valkyria was one of her favorite and most loyal monster spirits. She was always worried about Rin's wellbeing and always seemed to know when something was bothering her.

"I'm alright Valkyria. Just lost in my memories," she told her faithful spirit friend with a smile.

"Well, you should get some rest. It's very late." Magician's Valkyria told her sternly.

Before Rin could respond, however, they were both shocked to see a giant red dragon rising up from the Kaiba Dome. The dragon stayed for a few seconds before all the power in the city went out and it vanished. The generators for the Arcadia building kicked on and power was restored to the building, but Rin was still shocked by what they had just seen. "What was that, Valkyria?" She asked the mage as she entered her room once more.

Magician's Valkyria answered gravely before disappearing. "I do not know, milady. But I fear it is a sign of things to come."

' _I sure hope she's wrong. But I just can't shake the feeling that something terrible is about to happen soon._ ' Rin though before falling into a restless sleep.


	3. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 **Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's, its plot, settings, characters or cards. I only own Rin.

* * *

A few days had passed since Rin had seen the giant red dragon at the Kaiba Dome and things were back to normal. She had just finished instructing the kitchen staff on what to prepare for lunch and how. Rin and Akiza had plans to go to the mall today and wouldn't be back until afternoon. After leaving the kitchen Rin returned to her room to grab her bag, then met Akiza outside the front door.

"Alright, I've got everything. You ready to go, Aki?" Rin asked using the nick-name she had given Akiza.

Akiza smiled and nodded. "Ready. So where are we going first?"

oooooo (time skip) oooooo

The two girls spent the morning shopping, laughing and having a good time together. As they were having lunch at the food court, Akiza spoke. "It's nice to spend a day out having fun instead of cooped up inside the movement training all day."

Rin laughed in agreement. "I'll say. I, for one, was getting tired of being stuck working inside the hot kitchen all day. So what should we do after this?"

Akiza thought for a moment. "I saw a card shop near the entrance. We could always stop in for look," she suggested.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Rin said. Having finished their lunches the girls disposed of their trash and headed towards the card shop. After looking around for a bit, Rin and Akiza both found a pack they liked and purchased them. As they were leaving the store, they were approached by an overly-muscled guy who decided to try and flirt with them.

"Hey there. What's a couple of pretty things like yourselves doin all alone. Why don't you come with me and I'll show you a good time." Both girls rolled their eyes and started to walk away. "Aww, don't be like that."

Rin turned and glared at him. "Get lost, loser. We're not interested," she told him coldly.

"How about a duel then?" he suggested. "If you win, I'll leave you both alone. If I win, one of you has to go on a date with me. Sound fair?"

The girls shared a look of understanding before Rin nodded and took her Duel Disk out of her bag. "Alright, muscle-head. You're on!" she said as she removed her deck from its holder at her hip and placed it in the deck slot. The man chuckled as he did the same.

"Let's Duel"

Rin: 4000

?: 4000

"Ladies first, I draw. I summon Marauding Captain (level 3 ATK: 1200 DEF: 400) and with his ability I can also summon my Dark Blade (level 4 ATK: 1800 DEF: 1500). I'll place one card face down and end my turn."

"Alright then, I draw. And I summon my Dark Crusader (level 4 ATK: 1600 DEF: 200). Now Crusader attack her captain."

"Not so fast! I activate my trap: Draining Shield!"

Rin: 5600

?: 4000

"Fine I play one card face down. Your turn"

"Then I draw. I place one card face down and activate the spell Fissure to destroy your Crusader. Now I'll attack you directly with Marauding Captain and Dark Blade. I end my turn."

Rin: 5600

?: 1000

"Grrr, I draw. I activate my face down Monster Reborn to bring back Dark Crusader. Then I equip him with Black Pendant and Malevolent Nuzzler (1600 to 2800). Now, attack Marauding Captain! Your move now."

Rin: 4000

?: 1000

"I draw. I summon Earth Mage (level 4 ATK: 1500 DEF: 1900). Thanks to his special ability, since he's the only spellcaster onmy field, I can summon two more spellcasters as long as they're level 2 or below. I summon Water Mage (tuner level 2 ATK: 800 DEF: 1100) and Wind Mage (level 2 ATK: 1900 DEF: 1500). Now I tune Water Mage with Dark Blade and Wind Mage. I synchro summon Colossal Fighter (level 8 ATK: 2800 DEF: 1000). And he gains 100 attack points for every warrior-type in the Graveyard (2800 to 3000). Colossal Fighter, attack Dark Crusader. Now, Earth Mage, attack directly."

Rin: 4000 - Winner

?: 0000

"Aww, man," the man said as he stalked away.

"That was great, Rin. Your skills seem to improve every time you duel," Akiza congratulated her.

"Thanks Aki. What do you say we head home now?" Rin asked.

"Sounds good. I think we've had enough fun for one day." Akiza replied. When they returned to the Arcadia building, though someone was waiting for them.

Rin's eyes widened as she realized who it was. ' _Lazard! What is Director Goodwin's lapdog doing here?!'_ That was when Lazard noticed them.

"Ah, Miss Akiza Izinski. Or would you prefer I call you 'Black Rose'?" Rin watched as Akiza's eyes also widened with shock. "Regardless, this is for you. Director Goodwin would like your participation in a dueling tournament in a few days: The Fortune Cup. We do hope you'll join us." Akiza took the invitation with apprehension. Rin could see that her friend was nervous and sent a glare a Lazard. "Oh, don't look so angry, Rin. You haven't been left out. The Director would like your presence, as well," Lazard said as he handed Rin a VIP guest pass. "We look forward to seeing you both in a few days." He laughed as he walked away.

As Rin looked at Akiza's invitation and her own VIP guest pass, Rin couldn't help the sinking feeling in her gut that this Fortune Cup was going to lead to more trouble.

* * *

Authors Note: In case anyone is wondering, this story will be getting two chapters per update. Also, I apologize for the short duel. It was my first time writing a duel sequence, and since it wasn't an important plot line duel, I tried to make it short. For the record, Earth Mage, Water Mage and Wind Mage are NOT real cards. They were made up by a friend of mine. As for the appearance of Magician's Valkyria in the prologue: yes, Rin can communicate with duel spirits and they will be appearing throughout the story. Please read and review. Constructive criticism is always welcome and appreciated, but please don't flame.


	4. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **Disclaimer** : I DO NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, its plot, characters, settings, and cards. I only own Rin.

* * *

The day of the Fortune Cup had finally come. Rin and Akiza were waiting inside the Arcadia Movement's mobile command center. Akiza was nervously going through her cards one last time before the tournament opening. "You're still nervous, aren't you, Aki?" Rin asked her. Sayer had already given Akiza a pep talk that had boosted her confidence, but she was still a little apprehensive.

Akiza sighed. "I'm not worried about the opening or being in front of so many people. I'm concerned about what they'll think when they see me duel. They'll be afraid just like everyone else."

"You don't have to worry so much, Akiza," Rin told her. "Remember, you're not going in there alone. I'll be in the Kaiba Dome, too. And I'll be cheering you in every duel no matter what everyone else says or thinks."

Akiza smiled in response. "Thanks, Rin. We'd better head inside. They'll be starting soon."

The two women entered the Kaiba Dome and split up in the hall. Akiza went to join the other duelists, while Rin went to watch the opening from one of the many duel field exits. She didn't have to wait long before the announcer began.

"Duelist young and old, professional and amateur alike, put your hands together for our Director of Ceremonies, Rex Goodwin!" The crowd cheered as Rin scowled. Then, a gust of wind rushed through the arena as Red Dragon Archfiend appeared. "Ladies and gentlemen, Red Dragon Archfiend has taken to the skies. You know what that means, let's hear it for the reigning Champion, the King of the Cards, the one man who rules the duel, the Master of Faster himself…"

' _God, his ego is even bigger than I remember. Get on with it already,'_ Rin thought in irritation.

"Jack Atlas!" The crowd went wild as Jack entered the arena and the announcer finished the introduction.

"New Domino City, what say we kick this tournament into overdrive?! Let's get this started!" Jack declared boldly.

"It's time we meet the lucky duelists who were selected to compete for the chance to go head to head with Mr. Atlas. The Fortune eight!" The announcer stated as the platforms carrying the duelist began to rise up into the arena.

As the duelists entered, Rin's eyes skimmed over each one before freezing in place on one particular duelist. She'd recognize him anywhere. _'I-it can't be. Th-there's no way.'_ "Yusei?!" Rin whispered in shocked amazement. His identity was confirmed as the announcer introduced the eight duelists.

"Now, let's hear it for the always mysterious Shira, the great Grieger, Commander Coda, the Professor, Miss Akiza Izinski, Sir Randsborg, the lovely Miss Luna, and Yusei Fudo!"

The crowd went into an uproar upon seeing the mark on Yusei's left cheek. Rin knew what the mark meant: Yusei was sent to the facility for entering New Domino City from Satellite. The crowd Booed and hurled insults at him. The announcer was at a loss of what to do until the duelist Grieger took the mic.

"I have to say something," he began. "My name is Grieger. I know things are different in this city, but where I come from, you judge a guy on his spirit. This kid right here may have been branded by your people as a no-good, but when I look at him, all I see is a duelist. And being a duelist myself, that means I have to respect him until he gives me a reason not to. Because a duelist doesn't judge another duelist based on where he comes from or who his family is or how much money he has. That isn't what really matters."

With that he gave the mic back to the announcer. Rin smiled at Grieger's words. She now had a deep respect for the man. Her smile widened when everyone in the arena broke out in applause. However, her scowl returned when Goodwin spoke.

"Thank you for those well-chosen and heartfelt words. In our world, social status and personal wealth draws a line between ourselves and our fellow man. But I had a vision of a duel tournament that would, if only for a fleeting while, remove that line. A tournament separate from the competition of life. Where the haves and the have-nots could meet each other on a level playing field and prove themselves to each other and to the world. Fellow duelists, welcome to the Fortune Cup!" The crowd cheered loudly in response.

Then the announcer spoke again. "And now, let's turn to the bracket shuffler." When the matches were decided it was as follows: Luna vs Grieger in the first match, Akiza vs Sir Randsborg in the second match, Yusei vs Shira in the third match, and the Professor vs Commander Coda in the fourth match. All the duelist left the arena via the various exits to prepare for their respective matches. Rin watched Yusei leave through a different exit, however before he was completely out of the arena their eyes met for a moment. Rin saw the recognition flash across his eyes and took off back the way she came.

It had been three years since she had seen Yusei last. Three years since she had come to the city with Jack after her "brother's" treachery. Would Yusei even want to see her? Would he still consider her a friend? Rin has hesitant to find out. Thinking she had gotten far enough away, Rin stopped to catch her breath.

She stiffened, however, when she felt a hand grab her forearm and heard a familiar voice. "So this is where you ran off to."

Rin turned only to see a pair of extremely familiar cobalt-blue eyes. "Yusei." Rin looked down at the floor, suddenly finding her feet to be very interesting. That is, until Yusei hugged her causing her eyes to widen in shock.

"You have no idea how worried I was," he told her. "When Jack told me you had run away-"

"Wait," Rin interrupted, as she pulled away. "When did Jack tell you about that?"

"As soon as I got to the City. It was one of the first things I asked. We were worried about you, Rin."

"You were worried? After what happened? And who's "we"?"

Yusei chuckled. "Crow, Martha, Rally, and everyone. None of us ever believed you had anything to do with what Jack did. There's something I've been wondering about, though. Why didn't you come home after you left Jack?"

Rin looked down again. "I was afraid. Since I left with Jack, I was afraid that everyone would think I had some part in it. I was afraid you would hate me."

"Rin, look at me," he told her sternly. She did. "Rally, Crow and I all think of you as a sister. And I know that Martha thinks of you as a daughter. We could never hate you."

"Yusei," Rin whispered. "Thank you."

A few minutes later, Rin stood leaning against the wall of the waiting area listening to the conversation between Yusei and "Luna". Yusei had told her it was actually Leo, Luna's twin brother, and that he would introduce her to them and his friends from the city later.

"This Duel Disk you fixed up for me rocks!" "Luna" exclaimed.

Yusei smiled. "Glad you like it."

"I can't believe I'm actually about to do this," "she" said excitedly. "You don't have any last minute pointers for me, do ya?"

"Yep. Remember to adapt to your opponent."

"I can do that," "Luna" said confidently before heading toward the arena.

As "Luna" left, Rin took a seat next to Yusei. "So, how do you think he'll do in this duel?" she asked him.

"If he remembers what I told him, then he has good chance." Then they both turned to the TV screen to watch.

"And now," the announcer began, "coming to us strait from the Tops, a precious half-pint bundle of wonder, Little Miss Luna! Hoping to take her down, the wall of wallop, the tower of power, Grieger! Alright children, play nice. Let's shake those hands."

The two to duelist shook hands and exchanged words, however Rin could hear them over the crowd. Then they returned to their corners.

"And now, it's time to start the duel. Players activate your duel disks."

"Let's Duel!"

Grieger: 4000

"Luna": 4000

Grieger started "The first move's mine. I draw. From my hand, I activate Star Blast."

"A spell? You're not starting with a monster?"

"I first have to lower my monster's level by harnessing the power of Star Blast and sacrificing 500 life points."

Grieger: 3500

"Luna": 4000

"Why would you do all that?"

"See, my Summon Reactor SK is a level 5. So by taking its power down a notch, I can summon it directly to the field in attack mode. (lv. 5 ATK: 2000 DEF: 1400)"

"Yikes. It's got 2000 attack points."

"That's right. I believe that one must sacrifice a little in order to gain a lot. I end my turn with a face down card."

"Grieger's off to a strong start. Let's see how little Miss Luna responds," the announcer said.

"Here I go. I draw! You're not the only one off to a strong start. I summon Morphtronic Cellphon in attack mode. (lv. 1 ATK: 100 DEF: 100) Pretty cool don't cha think? My Morphtronic deck rules! And I'm about to show you why."

"Before you make any more moves, I get to activate Reactor SK's special ability. Because you summoned a monster to the field, Reactor SK gets to hit you with 800 points of damage."

Grieger: 3500

"Luna": 3200

"Incredible! Grieger's monster can attack Miss Luna anytime she summons a monster," the announcer commented.

"Not bad mister, but it's gonna take more than that to weaken my Morphtronic deck."

"You keep taking of these Morphtronic's of yours, but so far I'm not impressed."

"Yeah, well, I'm about to impress your face. Alright, let's go, Cellphon! Start dialing, now! Whatever number the dial lands on, that's the number of cards from the top of my deck I get flip over. And if the last card I flip is a level four or below Morphtronic, I can summon it out. And we've got a 2. The second card is… Oh, yeah! Get ready for Morphtronic Boomboxen, comin' at cha live. (lv. 4 ATK: 1200 DEF: 400) Now, I play a face down and end my turn."

"It's my turn. I draw. And from my hand, I summon Trap Reactor Y Fi to the field in attack mode. (lv. 4 ATK: 800 DEF: 1800) Trap Reactor, attack! Take out Morphtronic Cellphon."

"Gotcha, Grieger. I activate my Morphtransition trap card. And now I can switch my Cellphon to defense mode and put your attack on hold."

"Hah. By playing your trap, you walked right into mine. It's called Trap Reactor for a reason after all. You see, Trap Reactor reacts to your trap card activation and lays directly into you for 800 points of damage. Attack!"

Grieger: 3500

"Luna": 2400

' _Oh, boy. Hang in there kid.'_ Rin thought to herself.

"That was a cheap shot."

"I'm not done with you yet, little girl. I've still got more fight for you."

"Bring it."

"Summon Reactor SK, unplug that Boomboxen permanently." Boomboxen wasn't destroyed, however.

"It appears as if Summon Reactor SK has been grounded by Boomboxen," the announcer stated.

"Haha. When my Boomboxen's in defense mode, it can tune out one attack every turn."

"But that only allows me to use Damage Summon. See, after an unsuccessful attack on your monster, Damage Summon allows me to sacrifice 800 life points in order to summon a new monster."

Grieger: 2700

"Luna": 2400

"So you're sacrificing your own life points again?"

"I am. And next, I summon Spell Reactor RE to the field. (lv. 3 ATK: 1200 DEF: 900) You might not like the sound of this, but Spell Reactor RE, beat down that Boomboxen."

"My tunes!"

"I place one card face down and end my turn."

' _If Summon Reactor damages Leo for summoning and Trap Reactor damages him for activating traps, then Spell Reactor will likely damage Leo for activating spells. Hopefully, Leo has also realized it and can adjust his plan accordingly.'_ Rin thought.

"You don't seem very rattled. Don't you realize I've backed you into a corner? I got all three of my reactor monsters on my field. You've already brought direct damage upon yourself by summoning out monsters and triggering trap cards. So, what power do you think this next reactor monster possess? Seems obvious to me. That right, every duelist need to be able to summon monsters and activate traps and spells. But if you do any of that, you're going to take damage on to yourself. I can spend the rest of the duel doing nothing but watch as you chip away at your own life points every time you try to do something."

' _So I was right.'_ "It looks like the kid finally realized the situation "she's" in,"Rin observed.

"Don't get scared," She heard Yusei mumble at the screen as if Leo could hear him.

"You're goin' down!" "Luna" said defiantly. Grieger's words had shaken "her" confidence for a moment but "she" quickly regained it. "I've never tried this before, but here goes. This next round determines everything. It's my move. Now I draw and activate Cellphon's special ability. Dialing, Now! What's it gonna be? It's a 3! Now I can look at three cards.

"I switch Cellphon into attack mode. Start dialing, now." "Luna" looked nervous until Cellphon landed on 1. "All right, there we go! I summon Morphtronic Datatron in attack mode! (lv. 3 ATK: 1200 DEF: 600)"

"You're life points don't stand a chance against me, little girl. Because no matter what card you play, you're taking damage."

"These Reactors of Grieger have got Luna pinned to the wall!" the announcer exclaimed. "I can't watch, and yet I can't look away."

Grieger: 2700

"Luna": 1600

"This is it. By, um, releasing one monster on my field I can activate Datatron's special power which will burn you with 600 points of direct damage. So I release Cellphon.

Grieger: 2100

"Luna": 1600

"Alright, so far so good. And now, I release Datatron in order to advance summon Gadget Hauler! (lv. 6 ATK: 1300 DEF: 0) Ta-Da! Now, unless I'm mistaken, I won't take any damage 'cause Summon Reactor's ability only works once a turn, right?"

' _Good thinking! Now he just needs to stay calm and not break lose,'_ Rin thought

"Time to break lose!"

' _Or not.'_ Rin sweat dropped.

"From my hand I release Morphtronic Magnen. Now whenever I send one of my Morphtronic's from my hand to the Graveyard, Gadget Hauler gains 800 attack points. (1300 to 2100) Next, I activate the Factory of 100 Machines spell. And with the power of this card, I'm able to remove every Morphtronic in my Graveyard from play."

"What's all this about?" the announcer asked. "It seem like 4 of Luna's Morphtronic monsters are hitching a ride with Gadget Hauler."

"For every Machine-type monster catching a ride with it, Gadget Hauler gains 200 attack points. So now, it's got a whopping 2900!"

"The activation of that spell card brings you one step closer to certain defeat. Spell Reactor, attack! And that leaves you with only 800 life points, little girl. One more move and your finished."

Grieger: 2100

"Luna": 800

"No, not if I attack. You don't have a Battle Reactor. Gadget Hauler, take out his Trap Reactor Y Fi! Yeah! Did it work?"

"You may be small, but you have a warrior's spirit. As a warrior myself, I salute your strength!"

"Well, thanks I guess, but how come you're not, like, damaged?"

"Because of the Delta Reactor trap card."

"What does that do!?"

"By sending Trap Reactor, Spell Reactor and Summon Reactor to the Graveyard, I can negate your attack and activate Delta Reactor and use Flying Fortress SKY FIRE to summon a reign of doom."

"It looks like Grieger has activated the fatal trap card. This duel might be over. Could Luna be our first loser?" the announcer asked.

"I activate Flying Fortress SKY FIRE's special ability. And with this, I can send a card to my Graveyard in order to obliterate one card on your field. Victory is mine."

"Gadget Hauler!"

"And now you're wide open for a direct attack."

Grieger: 2100 - winner

"Luna": 0000

"It's over. Grieger will be advancing to the second round and Luna will be getting a gift basket."

' _Poor kid. I hope he'll be okay,'_ Rin thought to herself. She went to talk to Akiza before her duel while Yusei went to talk to Leo.


	5. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **Disclaimer** : I DO NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, its plot, characters, settings, or cards. I only own Rin.

* * *

Rin and Akiza were outside the Kaiba Dome. They had about 20 minutes before Akiza's duel, so they were using the opportunity to chat. Akiza took the chance to ask Rin about Yusei. "So, you seemed pretty close to that guy, Yusei. Did you know him from before?"

"Remember when I told you about the best friend my brother betrayed? That best friend was Yusei. I was actually surprised he didn't hate me after what happened." Rin told her sheepishly.

"Um, do you remember if Yusei had a mark like mine back then?" Akiza asked. Rin cocked an eyebrow, so Akiza elaborated. "Last night, when I was out dueling, my mark started glowing when I summoned my dragon. At first, I didn't know why. Then, I saw Yusei there and he had a mark on his arm that was glowing. I was just wondering if he had always had it or if it was a recent thing."

Rin frowned. "It must be recent, because Yusei never had a mark on his arm when I knew him before." Then Rin smiled mischievously. "But I wonder, usually if you think someone has a mark, you immediately hate and want nothing to do with them. Why the interest in Yusei, then?"

Akiza blushed red. "N-no reason. Ju-just curious." She stuttered out.

"If you say so, Aki." However, Rin's knowing smile said she didn't entirely believe her.

"You're impossible," Akiza huffed and head back inside. Rin giggled and followed her.

Rin stopped when she saw Yusei and the kids ahead while Akiza kept going.

"Excuse me," Akiza said coldly as she walked by them.

"So, what's her problem?" Rin heard the boy, Leo, ask. That's when Rin decided to speak up.

"Sorry about that. Akiza has her game face on right now," she explained sheepishly.

"There you are," Yusei said. He took the opportunity to introduce her to the kids. "Guys, this is Rin. She's an old friend of mine. Rin, this is Luna, Leo and Dexter."

Rin smiled. "It's very nice to meet you all," she said as she bowed slightly.

"It's nice to meet you, too!" Luna said with a smile.

"Hey!" Leo chimed in. "Why don't you come sit with us for the next duel?"

Rin could tell he was excited so she nodded. "Sure, why not." The twins started dragging her up to the stands with Dexter following. On the way they asked her lots of questions. One question Leo asked was who she would root for in the duel that was about to start. "Well, Akiza is my friend so I'm gonna be cheering for her," she told them.

When the group arrived at their seats, the kids introduced her to Bolt Tanner and Yanagi. The two welcomed her into the group but before much else could be said, the announcer started to speak.

"Welcome back. Our next duel is about to begin. And now, entering the arena, a knight in shining armor, it's the one, the only, Gil De Randsborg!"

"Good people of New Domino! Thou shalt knowest my blade and my deck from the attacks thee shalt witness!"

"While we wait for a Shakespearean scholar to translate all that, let's get ready for his opponent!" the announcer said.

"Oh gosh," Rin groaned as she slapped her forehead.

"This guy can't be serious," Yanagi said.

"Don't even get me started on that big faker, Grandpa," Tanner stated. "I wore that same costume last Halloween."

"And now, entering the Arena, his opponent," the announcer began. "With a record of, well, it appears we don't have any record for her, but we can say she's um, uh, are you saying we have no information for her?! Um, well Domino City, let's hear it for Miss Akiza Izinski!"

"I get the strangest feeling like we've seen her before." Leo said thoughtfully, catching Rin's attention briefly.

"You mean, like, in the hallway?" Dexter asked.

"No! Before that!" Leo exclaimed. "Get with it, Dexter!"

Her attention was suddenly drawn to Luna when she cried out. "Luna!?" she asked worriedly.

"What is it, Luna?" her brother asked.

Luna explained. "There's something with her deck. It's like I can feel it in pain."

' _Wait. Luna can sense duel spirits, too?!'_ Rin thought, amazed. Before she could dwell on it further, the duel began.

"You'll find no mercy here, Sorceress! But you will find defeat!"

"Let's Duel!"

Akiza: 4000

Randsborg: 4000

Randsborg went first. "Ready fair maiden? Behold, I summonith a Level 3 Masked Knight. (lv. 3 ATK: 1500 DEF: 800) Thee shall suffer this, its ability most special. Thou loseth 400 points."

Akiza: 3600

Randsborg: 4000

"Forthwith, I shall call upon mine spell, Level Up. Thee has served nobly, but be banished to thy yard of graves for thou brother in arms now be summoned. Masked Knight, Level the 5th! (lv. 5 ATK: 2300 DEF: 1500) And thus, like thy comrade, an ability most special. Thou shalt feel the sharp sting as forces align against thee! Life Points most foul, be gone! I shall yield with a face down. Thy turn."

Akiza: 2600

Randsborg: 4000

"Can our mystery duelist come back from this? Does she have a chance? Will I understand anything Sir Randsborg says in this duel?" The announcer asked.

' _Yes, yes and no,'_ Rin thought to herself.

"Fear not, maiden of the darkness. Defeat is soon. A silent tongue or hath the viper take hold of thee? "

"No, I'm getting tired of having to listen to your bad accent," Akiza said as she summoned her Wall of Ivy (lv.2 ATK: 300 DEF: 1600) in defense mode.

"She just played Wall of Ivy," Tanner stated.

"It's a great card, if you're looking for some defense," Dexter explained.

"She has more planned," Rin added her two cents before they turned back to the duel.

"And next, I activate a spell card, Seed of Deception! With this, I get the power to summon another level 2 or below monster from my hand. Or in some words you can understand, thou are about to be royally played!" Akiza said as she summoned her Copy Plant (Lv. 1 ATK: 0 DEF: 0) in defense mode. "Now that Copyplant is on my field, it gets to power up to the level of a monster on your field. And I can't think of anyone more perfect than your level 5 knight. (level 1 to level 5) This fair maiden would like to thank you for all your help."

"I'm not sure I follow what she's doing, Tanner," Yanagi said.

Rin, Leo and Dexter answered instead. "She's gonna Synchro Summon!"

"I fear you not, My Lady."

"You should because I'm tuning Copyplant with my Wall of Ivy. It's time you stopped playing with plastic swords and dice, Randsborg. Now I summon to the field Black Rose Dragon!" (lv. 7 ATK: 2400 DEF: 1800)

"What's with all the wind?" Tanner asked.

Rin's eyes widened. _'Don't lose control, don't lose control!'_

"Tis' true! Thou beist the Black Rose! Stay back!"

"Wait Black Rose?! She's the witch from the other night!" Leo exclaimed.

"She's not a witch." Rin defended her friend. "Akiza has psychic powers. That's why her cards seem to come to life and cause real damage. It's because Akiza can't control her psychic abilities." The whole time she was explaining, she never took her eyes of her friend in the arena.

"Fear not. Thy knights shall do battle with the great beast and thy dark maiden shall be made to pay for this. Your eyes do vex."

"I'll take that as a compliment, but in case it wasn't I should let know something. Black Rose Dragon takes out all of your cards, Randsborg!"

"Curses!"

"Go, Black Rose Gale!"

"I don't believe it! An incredible tornado has struck inside the arena!" the announcer exclaimed. The tornado destroyed every card on the field.

"So, thou can command the wind?"

"Among other things," Akiza said as she set a face down. "Now watch as I play my field spell, Black Garden!"

"What evil is this!?" Randsborg cried out as vines encircled the entire duel field.

"It's your move Randsborg."

"Mine turn. I shall activateith mine spell, The Warrior Returnith Alive. It hath the power to returnith mine monsters from beyond the dark veil of the grave. Masked Knight, Level the 3rd! Rejoin thine battle! You shall fight again." Suddenly, the vines of Black Garden ensnared the knight. "What be this?"

"This be the power of my Black Garden. As long as were inside this greenhouse, your monster's attack points are cut in half and a Rose Token (lv. 2 ATK: 800 DEF: 800) blossoms on my field. I'm sure a knight like you can handle a few thorns. Watch her beauty bloom and be sure that you take in the sweet smell of my success."

"With Masked Knight's attack points sliced in half, Sir Randsborg can't get close to the Black Rose," the announcer declared.

"Vengeance is mine." Randsborg said as he activated Masked Knight's ability.

Akiza: 2200

Randsborg: 4000

"You yield?"

"Not with my Doppelganger trap card in play. Take that ya big tin can!" Akiza said as her trap dealt Randsborg the same amount of damage that his monster affect had dealt to her.

Akiza: 2200

Randsborg: 3600

"It looks like Sir Randsborg has taken his first hit and it is a big one!" the announcer stated.

"His face!" Leo cried

"She gave him a scar," Dexter stated.

"I guess her powers are real," Tanner said.

"Let's go home! If she can do that to him, what'll she do to us?" Yanagi asked scared.

"Sit back down, Gramps," Rin said. "Akiza has no intention of hurting any of us. It's like I said, she can't control her psychic power. She doesn't _want_ to hurt anyone."

"Tis' but a mere scratch, her powers scare not this brave warrior. But 'ere witch shall pay!"

"Be careful who you call a witch."

"A threat!? You shall pay dearly for that. I castith two cards face down. Thine turn."

"I know. And for starters, I'll play my spell Mark of the Rose which lets me select one of the monsters on your side of the field and take control of it. Masked Knight, what do you think about joining me?!" As the spell activated, Masked Knight teleported to Akiza's field and knelt before her.

"Oh my. He appears to be quite smitten with her." Yanagi commented.

"It looks as if your monster has sworn his allegiance to me. I think it time to let Sir Randsborg feel the sting of your betrayal."

Akiza: 2200

Randsborg: 2850

"Thou bewitched the heart of my noble Knight. Thou shall suffer for such insolence."

"Not before this. I equip the spell Vengeful Servant on my new Masked Knight. So now, when he goes back to your control at the end of my turn, you lose even more life point. One for each of his attack points."

"You dare not."

"Oh no, I do dare. Looks like it's the end of my turn. Masked Knight, why don't you go on home and unleash the true power of my Vengeful Servant. Now strike down his life points! "

Akiza: 2200

Randsborg: 1350

"This rose has thorns. In just one round, she's pulled up to roots of Randsborg's lead like it was a weed infestation," the announcer said.

"Thine girl shall suffer my wrath. With this, mine trap card, thy Level Change. Thy turn hath not finished as of yet Black Rose. My traitorous Masked Knight, Level the 3rd shall be sacrificed to the yard of graves so that a far nobler warrior may take thine place. My Masked Knight, Level the 5th, returnith to thy battle my brave warrior."

"Sir Randsborg has cracked the Black Rose's combo. This is anyone's duel now," the announcer said.

"It appears you forgot about Black Garden. For every monster you summon, its attack points are cut in half. And not only that, but I'll be getting another Rose Token. Now I end my turn."

"Sorceress, you dare enchant mine monsters with thine spells!? Thy Garden be no Eden but shall fall the same! Now, my Knight, you have earned Promotion for brave service against thy most wicked opponent."

"He's right! Thanks to Masked Knights special ability, he upgrades from level 5 all the way to level 7," the announcer stated.

"Now join mine side!" Randsborg said as he summoned Masked Knight lv 7. (lv. 7 ATK: 2900 DEF: 1800)

"Black Garden, do your thing!" Akiza said as Masked Knight was entangled in vines and its attack points were cut in half. "Once again, another Rose Token shall bloom."

"Foul she-creature, thou has draped thine arena in dark foliage, yea hath seduced my Knights, but now thy dark deck shall fall before my might. Behold, mine Glory Shield. With it my Masked Knight be impervious to any of thy bewitching spells."

"Nice move," Tanner said. "Now when Randsborg decides to bring in the big blades and attack with Masked Knight, Black Rose can't use any of her spells cards and traps."

"And if it does damage, it destroys a card. Maybe Black Rose isn't so powerful, after all," Dexter added.

"Does everything I say just go in one ear and out the other?" Rin asked exasperatedly.

"Hey, Rin?" Luna asked. "You said the reason Akiza's cards come to life is because of her psychic power. Could that be why her cards are in pain?"

"Well, from what I understand," Rin started, "Her cards come to life because her powers get channeled into them. I suppose, just like how her opponent is hurt by her power, her uncontrolled power channeling into the cards could be causing the monster spirits pain. On the other hand, the misunderstanding of everyone calling her a witch causes Akiza emotional pain. It could be possible that her bond with her cards is so great that when Akiza is in pain, the spirits feel it also. It's hard to say for sure, since the monster spirits are only in pain when she duels."

"I see." Luna then realized something. "Wait! You can sense card spirits, too?!"

Rin nodded. "Yeah. For a long time." Before either one could talk more, the duel continued.

"Masked Knight, unleash thine powers on thy darkest of monsters, the Tokens of Rose! Cry havoc and strike thy maidens life points."

"And Randsborg brings the hammer down hard, or should I say sword, as Akiza takes a big hit! Black Rose is starting to wilt. A few more attacks like that and she'll be checking the want ads. Does anyone need a gardener?" the announcer exclaimed.

Akiza: 1550

Randsborg: 1350

"And now, mine Glory Shield effect destroyith thine Doppelganger. With thine cursed spell (technically, it's a trap) lost to thee, Masked Knight, unleash thine effect most special!"

Akiza: 50

Randsborg: 1350

"Only 50 life points left! This duel is all but over, it's a fourth encore, it's a party with no music, it's the closing credits!" the announcer exclaimed.

"I end mine turn. Thine turn and any last words, fair maiden, for you shall not see another."

"Yeah, I got some last words. This duel's over!"

"Liar!"

"So, what to do? I think I'll destroy my Black Garden!"

"What's this? A trick of some sorts?"

"Trick, no. Strategy, yes. See, you have to learn to look beyond the beauty of my roses. By destroying my Black Garden and my Rose Tokens, I get to summon a new monster. One that's in my Graveyard."

"You would not!"

"It can't be!" Leo, Dexter and Yanagi exclaimed.

"Now if my math is right, and it always is, Akiza has sacrificed enough attack points to summon the Black Rose Dragon!" the announcer said.

"Now say hello to my Black Rose Dragon!"

"Akiza did it, but is it too late?" the announcer asked. "With Black Garden gone Masked Knight's attack points go back to their maximum. And if you know anything about fairytales, when it comes to knights versus dragons, it never ends well for the dragon."

"With nothing else on her field, Black Rose can't win this. Too bad, too. I thought she had it," Tanner said.

"Don't be so sure. Akiza still has one more trick up her sleeve," Rin told them.

"Ye truly are a fool, Milady. Perhaps ye should lay thy cards down and tend to thine garden. Green thumb you hath not when it comes to dueling."

"Due to my Black Rose Dragon's special ability, if I remove a plant monster in my Graveyard from play, your Masked Knight's attack points go to zero. Go, Black Binding Bloom!"

"But, thouist cannot do this to me! It be not fair! I spent all year making this costume for this special tournament! I'm not supposed to lose!"

"Well too bad! And next time you want to play dress-up, you should realize that it's not what you wear on the outside that makes you who you are, but what's on the inside!"

"I wanna go home! Take it easy, now!"

"I am taking it easy! Black Rose Dragon, attack!"

Akiza: 50 – winner

Randsborg: 0000

As Black Rose Dragon's attack hit, Rin heard Randsborg cry out in pain. She knew what was coming next, so she retreated to the lower halls to wait for Akiza and avoid hearing the cries of fear and "witch" directed towards her best friend.

* * *

Author's Note: First of all, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far. Secondly, you've probably already realized this, but in case you haven't, this is going to be based of the English dub/sub versions of the anime. Also, I have a question for all you readers: Do you like that I'm writiing every duel and the comments during the duel? Or should I try and shorten them up a bit? Please review and let me know what you think. Constructive critizism is always welcome. Happy Halloween!


	6. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's_ , its plot, setting, characters, or cards. I only own Rin.

* * *

Rin and Akiza were inside the Arcadia Movement Mobile Command after the duel against Randsborg. "That was a great duel, Aki. I knew you could beat him." Rin congratulated her friend on her win.

Akiza sighed. "Maybe. But everyone knows about my power now. They hate me, I know you heard them."

"Yeah, I heard them," Rin scowled. "But that doesn't mean everyone in the arena hates you. I'm in there rooting for you, and so is Sayer. That has to stand for something, right?"

"Hm. You're right, Rin. Thanks," Akiza said with a smile. "Hey, Yusei's duel is starting soon. Shouldn't you be heading back inside?"

Rin cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, but aren't you going to come watch to?" she asked.

"Uh, no thanks. I'm just going to stay here and relax for a bit," Akiza answered with a blush.

Rin smiled. "Well then, at least promise me you'll watch the duel on TV."

"Why?" Akiza asked curiously.

Rin smirked. "Well, for one, despite you're denial I think you like him. Also, when it comes down to it, I have a gut hunch that when everything is said and done, you and Yusei are going to be dueling each other. If you watch his duels now, then you might be able to come up with a winning strategy."

"Fine. I'll watch his duel," Akiza concedes.

"Thanks, Aki," Rin said as she left and made her way back to the Duel Dome. She went up to the stands to join Tanner, Yanagi and the kids.

Dexter was the one to greet her. "Hey, Rin! We're glad you're back. The duel's about to start any minute now."

Right after he said that, the announcer began introducing the duelists. "Alright everybody, are you ready!? It's time for the fortune cup's first Turbo Duel! He's the spunky punk trying to get from third to first class, he's the little Satellite who could, dueling fans I give you Yusei!"

When Yusei emerged on his duel runner, the crowd immediately began to hurl insults. However, despite that Rin couldn't help but smile. She recognized the design of the runner as the extra that she had left with him. Her smile widened as she heard Leo's shout of encouragement to Yusei.

"Dueling him is the always mysterious, Shadow Creeper himself, Shira!"

The crowds cheered for Shira as they continued to insult Yusei. "I don't get. Why are these jerks putting down Yusei? They don't even know him!" Leo asked.

Rin sighed as she answer. "With a few exceptions like you guys, just about everyone in New Domino City hates everybody from Satellite. It doesn't matter who they are or what their like, if they came from the Satellite, then everyone will hate them."

The two duelists took their starting positions. "With both duelists at the starting line, there's only one thing left to do. Kids, start your Runners!" The two duelists engaged their "Duel Mode". "This is the point of no return. Both duelists have activated their "Speed World Field Spell". Now the only spells they can use are speed spells."

The start timer counted down and when it hit zero both duelists took off. However, when they did, "Shira's robes flew off, revealing not Shira but the former champion, Hunter Pace. This shocked everyone in the arena. "Hahaha! Surprise, surprise! Didn't expect to see me out here, did ya?"

"This is the mother of all surprises," the announcer stated. "That's not Shira! That's the former Champion, the Mad Biker, the Phantom of Fire, it's… it's Hunter Pace!"

"What happened to Shira?!" Tanner exclaimed.

"Are ya gonna accept my challenge, or are ya gonna back down in front of all excited people?" Hunter asked Yusei. "So what do you think, Yusei? Ya game to duel Hunter Pace? Trust me, you didn't want to duel Shira! That guys a real bore."

Yusei smirked. "Let's do this."

"All right, then!"

"Uh, I'm not sure if this is, uh, well I, uh…" the announcer stuttered for a moment. "Goodwin has green lit Hunter's challenge! We are a-go, the duel is on!"

Yusei: 4000

Hunter: 4000

Hunter went first. "The first move's mine. I draw! And from my hand, I summon Burning Skull Head (lv 3 ATK: 1000 DEF: 800) in attack mode! Then I end my turn by placing three cards face down."

"I'm up then. And I summon Speed Warrior (lv 2 ATK: 900 DEF: 400) in attack mode."

"It looks like Yusei's not wasting any time getting on the offensive. Speed Warrior's attack points double during its summoning phase, so I'd bet my commodore that were about to see an attack," the announcer stated.

"Speed Warrior, strike him with Hyper Sonic Slash!"

"Sorry, but my Zero Guard trap card puts the brakes on your speed warrior. See, by takin away all my Burning Skull Head's attack points, I can make it invulnerable to attacks so you can't destroy it in battle."

Yusei: 4000

Hunter: 2200

"Whoa! Talk about a turn of events!" the announcer exclaimed. "He saved his monster, but Hunter's been slammed with 1800 points of damage."

"Why would he willingly take such a big hit?" Yanagi asked.

Dexter answered. "He must have some sort of reason for having that monster around."

"After taking that much damage at once, his speed counters should drop right? So, uh, how come they haven't gone down?" Leo asked.

"I bet it's because of one of his other face downs. Which would mean he wanted to take that damage," Rin speculated.

"I give you the Doom Accelerator trap. Thanks to this puppy, I'll be gaining one speed counter for every 500 points of damage I take in battle, staring right now! Aw, Yeah! That's your first taste of my new Speed Acceleration deck. Custom engineered by yours truly."

"Not a bad play Hunter, but it'll take more than that to shake me. For now, I place two cards face down and end my turn."

"My turn, then. I draw. I'm cranking this duel up a notch with the Summon Speeder spell! Since I have four speed counters, I can use Summon Speeder to bust out a new monster, so say hello to Skull Bass. Next, by kicking Skull Bass and Burning Skull Head to the curb, I can advance summon Skull Flame! (lv 8 ATK: 2600 DEF: 2000) Sorry kid, but I'm here to duel Jack Atlas again and regain my title and, well Yusei, you're blocking my way. So you gotta fall! Skull Flame, burn up his life points!"

Yusei: 2300

Hunter: 2200

"Yusei may have kick-started this duel with a powerful attack, but the former Turbo Dueling Champion has just unleashed a blistering combo and instantly almost evened up the score!" the announcer said.

"And I'm just getting warmed up. Prepare for the real heat as I activate the Speed Booster trap card!"

"That's not good!" Rin said.

"Man, this guy's quick!" Leo stated.

"Welcome to the real world of Turbo Dueling, kid. If you don't keep up, then you'll get left behind! Hahaha! I came here to burn rubber and take names, Yusei. And no one is gonna stop me from winning the chance to reclaim my title. See, when I was the number one ranked turbo duelist in the world, I learned to defend my title by repeatedly deflecting attacks from all directions, just like my monster. But I also learned that to stay at the top, you gotta dish out damage hard and fast, so get ready to feel the heat!"

"Talks a lot, doesn't he?" Yanagi asked.

"Tell me about," Rin said in agreement.

"Unfortunately, he's able to put his money where his mouth is in this case, 'cause he's earned a big advantage," Tanner stated.

"Did Yusei just crack a smile?" Leo asked.

"I didn't see that. Is he smiling? Did you see him smile? Why would Yusei smile?" Yanagi questioned.

Both Rin and Tanner smiled.

"And why are you two smiling?" Yanagi asked.

"Just watch Gramps," Rin replied.

"And now to turn up the heat Satellite, I initiate Speed Boosters special attack."

Yusei: 1900

Hunter: 2200

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a whole new Hunter Pace were seeing! He's totally reinvented himself!" the announcer exclaimed.

"I'm on the fast track to glory, no one can stop me! Don't blink or you'll miss me! I'm bringing a whole new intensity to Turbo Dueling. I'm gonna leave the entire world in my dust! I'm gonna… Huh!"

"You're gonna what?"

"How are you keeping up with me? Huh…Slip Stream! Oh man, you gotta be kiddin' me!"

"Is that why he was smiling?" Yanagi asked.

"You bet it is," Rin answered.

"And with this card in play, Yusei might be smiling all the way to the finish line. You see Yanagi, since Hunter played a speed spell last turn and Yusei had fewer speed counters than him, Yusei's counters now catch up to where Hunters are," Tanner explained.

"Yusei rules!" Leo exclaimed.

"Let's just hope he makes use of this position," Dexter said.

"You must think you're slicker than slick, don't cha? You now I heard some people say you were good Yusei, but I'm afraid you're just not good enough to keep up with me. I activate Acceleration Zone! Just try to catch me now! Yeah!"

"Incredible! Hunter Pace's speed counter has rocketed all the way to eleven!" the announcer commented.

"Yahoo! You may think you outsmarted me by slipping in your Slip Stream last round, but my deck is so fast that no matter what card you play or move you make, you'll always be a step behind. That's something you Satellites have to come to expect, isn't it?"

"Well I wonder if you expected me to play this, the Summon Speeder spell card!"

"Whoa, Yusei met Hunter Pace's challenge with a direct counter!" the announcer stated.

"Now with the power of Summon Speeder, I summon Quilbolt Hedgehog (lv 2 ATK: 800 DEF: 800) in defense mode and Junk Synchron (lv 3 ATK: 1300 DEF: 500) in attack mode. And thanks to my Junk Synchron's special ability, I can summon another monster from my graveyard. So I'm bringing back Speed Warrior! And now I tune my Junk Synchron with my Speed Warrior to synchro summon Junk Warrior! (lv 5 ATK: 2300 DEF: 1300) Let's rev it up!"

"Alright!" Yanagi and the kids exclaimed.

"I guess you could say that he's keeping pace with Hunter," Yanagi joked.

"But before I attack since the Quilbolt on my field is a level 2, Junk Warrior can absorb his attack points! It's go time!"

"Heh, forget my Speed Booster trap already?"

"Oh dear!" Yanagi said.

"How did he stop Junk Warrior's attack like that?" Leo asked

"Remember, with that Speed Booster trap card, Hunter can block the same number of attacks as their difference in speed counters," Tanner explained.

"Oh, right. So, since Hunter's at eleven and Yusei's at six, Hunter's able to stop six of Yusei's attacks!?" Leo exclaimed.

' _Come on, hang in their Yusei!'_ Rin thought to herself.

"I've got to find a way to push through this. I place one card face down and end my turn."

"Yeah, that's what I thought. I draw."

"Hunter is totally maxed out! It doesn't get any faster than twelve speed counters people!" the announcer stated.

"After Jack took my title and I failed to snatch it back, I went into hiding to undergo some serious retraining and I realized that if I was again going to rule the Turbo Duels, I had to put speed first! You're as good as done in a turbo duel if you can't fearlessly harness the awesome power of true speed! It's not what you do, it's how fast you do it which I will now demonstrate by activating the Accelerate Draw speed spell. This lets me draw two cards more cards from my deck. Oh Yeah! It's in my hand! The End of Storm speed spell!"

"No way!" Rin exclaimed.

"He has the spell card End of Storm!?"

"Should have stayed inside today, Yusei! You're local forecast calls for some hardcore schoolin' and a whole lot a letdown with a slight chance of annihilation! But it's too late for ya now! I activate End of Storm! From what I understand, you and Jack Atlas have some history, so I'm sure you know what this means. The storm destroys every monster on the field and then we both take 300 points of damage for every monster we had."

Yusei: 1300

Hunter: 1900

"Wow! Hunter Pace has managed to nail Yusei for 600 points of damage! But in doing so, he had to obliterate his own monster! He can't attack now! What's he gonna do?!" the announcer said.

"Ha, now that the storm has blown over, I remove one Skull Flame in my graveyard from play. By doing so, I can summon the incredible Speed King Skull Flame (lv 10 ATK: 3000 DEF: ?) to the field in attack mode! 3000 attack points in all!"

(A/N: For the record, Speed King Skull Flame is _SUPOSE_ to be Supersonic Skull Flame with 2600 attack points and 2000 defense points. I don't know why they changed it for the show, but it would have driven me nuts if I didn't say something about it.)

"Oh no!"

"3000 attack points!" Tanner exclaimed.

"Not only did Hunter destroy every monster on the field and deal damage to Yusei, but he's managed to summon an incredibly powerful new monster! What a stupendous string of moves! This could be the end of the duel right here! Hunter Pace may be moving on in the tournament and Jack Atlas might be getting a little scared right about now!" the announcer stated.

"This duel is over Yusei! 'Cause Speed King Skull Flame is gonna attack you directly!"

"Well my Scrape-Iron Scarecrow should extinguish its attack!"

"Yusei has shielded himself from Hunter's Skull Flame!" the announcer commented.

"Let's see what you do when I activate Speed Booster."

Yusei: 800

Hunter: 1900

"Oh no," Dexter exclaimed.

"Stay strong, Yusei!" Leo and Rin shouted.

"And now I activate Speed King Skull Flame's special ability. So for every Burning Skull Head in my graveyard, you take 400 points of damage."

Yusei: 400

Hunter: 1900

"Yusei is barely holding on with a measly 400 life points! Can he survive?" the announcer questioned.

"It's my turn! First, I'm gonna slow this duel down a little bit with Shift Down!"

"In a questionable move, Yusei has intentionally reduced his speed counters! What could he be thinking?!" the announcer said.

"Maybe he isn't thinking?" Yanagi suggested.

"He must be banking on his deck right now," Tanner replied.

"Banking on his deck?" Dexter asked.

"That's right," Rin started. "Shift Down may forcibly lower your speed counters by six, but the upside is that it lets you draw two cards from the top of your deck."

"I get it. He's hoping he can bust out a game-changer!" Leo said excitedly.

"Exactly! Our friend Yusei never stops believing in his cards," Rin said with a smile.

"Now that my speed has decreased, I can draw two more cards and next I summon Nitro Synchron! (lv 2 ATK: 300 DEF: 100) Now that I've got a tuner monster on my field, I can bring Quilbolt Hedgehog from my graveyard! With that done, I'm activating the Give and Take trap card! So now I'm going to give your defense a little boost and take advantage of the power that beast possesses!

"You're doin' what?!"

"You may have been at the top of the ranks back in the day, Hunter, but that's only 'cause you never face beasts with abilities like these!"

"So with Quilbolt Hedgehog bumped up to level five, and Nitro Synchron already at level two then he…" Dexter started

"He can synchro summon a level seven monster!" Leo finished.

"Now I tune my Nitro Synchron and my Quilbolt Hedgehog to synchro summon Nitro Warrior! (lv 7 ATK: 2800 DEF: 1800) Let's rev it up one more time!"

"Pretty cool monster. But I can deflect your attack with Speed Booster, so there was no point in summoning that thing!"

"I wonder if Hunter knows that synchro summoning Nitro Warrior has enabled Yusei to draw another card from the top of his deck," Tanner mused.

"Is that why Yusei summoned it?" Leo asked.

"You got it. He's trying to get to a certain card," Tanner replied.

"Check it out, Yusei! I'm so much faster, I'm about to lap you! Hahaha!"

"Just what I needed. I'm activating the speed spell Gap Storm!"

"What is this?"

"I can only activate Gap Storm when the difference in our speed counters is ten or more! That's why I slowed down! Now I can destroy every trap and spell card on the field!"

"Oh no! So that means…!"

"Say goodbye to your Speed Booster!"

"Wow talk about a bigtime risk actually paying off!" Leo stated.

"How ironic! He might manage to win a game of speed by slowing down," Dexter added.

"This ain't over!"

"It will be once Nitro's special ability kicks in and because I activated a spell card on my own turn, Nitro Warrior gets hooked up with 1000 attack points! Nitro, attack with Dynamite Crunch!"

Yusei: 400

Hunter: 1100

"I'm still ahead!"

"Not for long. You see, Hunter, even though you had the lead for most of the duel, your life points are about to run out of gas and it's all because of my Nitro Warrior's special ability!"

"Wait, so then my Junk Synchron is switched to attack mode?! But that means it can't protect me!"

"Nitro attack!"

"Yusei is about to pull off a major come-from-behind victory!" the announcer exclaimed.

"Can't we be friends!?"

Yusei: 400 – winner

Hunter: 0000

"It's over! There's just no love for the one-time champion these days! His dream goes up in smoke again!" the announcer stated.

"Yusei did it! I just knew he could do it!" Leo exclaimed.

"That makes two of us, Leo!" Rin said in agreement. She smiled as she watched Yusei and Hunter exchange friendly words. _'It's good to see that he hasn't changed much. Yusei can still make friends with just about anybody. But the real challenge is just getting started. He's one step closer to dueling Jack, but I have a feeling that his opponents will only get tougher. He'll need to be ready for anything.'_


	7. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's_ or its characters, plot, settings or cards. I only own Rin.

* * *

With Yusei's duel over, Rin decided that she would join him in the back. The last match of the day had been decided by forfeit, so there had been no reason to remain in the arena. There was also something that she had wanted to ask him anyway, but she decided not to leave until Yusei left the field. She giggled slightly as listened to the twins argue over Leo's loss in the first round.

Then the announcer spoke and his words shocked everyone. "We have a special announcement! Yes, the rumors you heard are true! Listen up first round losers, don't head for the exits just yet! Rex Goodwin, our Master of Ceremonies, has set up a loser's bracket for the first round! That means if you lost, grab your deck because you might get a second chance to duel again!"

As the matches were revealed, Rin took off to wait for Yusei in the halls below. _'I know Goodwin doesn't do anything out of the goodness of his heart. This loser's bracket smells like trouble.'_

Rin met Yusei in the and to two began walking to the participant waiting area to watch Luna's duel. Rin decided to ask Yusei something that had been bothering her. "Hey Yus, why did you enter this tournament? I know you want to get payback against Jack, but there has be another reason. I can't imagine you'd go through all this just to duel Jack. What else is going on?"

Yusei shows Rin a photo of Rally and Yusei's other friends in Satellite. "Goodwin threatened to hurt Rally and the others if I don't participate. That's why I'm going through with this."

"What!? I knew Jack stooped incredibly low to get out of Satellite, but this is a whole new low even for him!" Rin cried out angrily.

"I don't think Jack was involved," Yusei told her. "He paid me a visit the other day. I may not know him as well as I used to, but I can usually tell when he's lying. When I told him about Goodwin's threat he was genuinely surprised."

This fact calmed Rin slightly, but increased her suspicion. "If that's true, then the real question is, why does Goodwin want you in this tournament so badly?"

"I wish I knew," he said. "So what do you think about this "loser's bracket"?"

"Honestly, I have bad feeling about it," Rin said as they entered the empty room. "Goodwin doesn't do charity, so there must be something in this for him. It might have something to do with why Goodwin wanted you in the tournament." _'And why he wanted Akiza and me here, too.'_

Yusei nodded in agreement. "Maybe. The only way we'll know for sure is to see how things play out."

It was in that moment that the first participant in the duel would be Luna. "What?!" Rin exclaimed.

"Luna's dueling?" Yusei thought aloud.

"I'm guessing they finally got the right kid for the match, huh?" They turned to see Greiger behind them. "You know, by the end of the duel we had, I didn't think the boy was half bad. I can't wait to see what his sister's got." As Greiger walked away it was announced that her opponent would be the Professor.

The two shared a look as they sat down on the couch. At that moment, Magician's Valkyria decided to strike up a mental conversation with Rin. _'How do you think Luna will do in this duel?'_

' _I don't know, Valkyria. I've never seen Luna or her opponent duel so it's impossible to say for sure. However, since Luna was invited to this tournament, then she has to be skilled. The problem is her opponent. He forfeited his first round match, most likely so he could be in this bracket.'_ Rin thought back.

' _That would mean he or Goodwin wanted him to duel Luna. However, this Professor doesn't know Luna in any way. It would also mean he has some connection with Goodwin. This leads to two questions: what does Goodwin want with Luna and to what lengths would this man go to achieve those goals?'_ Valkyria asked

' _Something tells me we're about to find out,"_ Rin responded as she returned to the present. The duel was about to start.

"Let's Duel!"

Luna: 4000

Professor: 4000

"Like the blooming lotus, you may go first," the Professor said.

"Sure, fine. I draw! And I summon Sunny Pixie (lv 1 ATK: 300 DEF: 400) in defense mode! Your turn Professor."

"And I look forward to it. Thank you. I summon a unique monster known as Symmetry Rorschach. (lv 3 ATK: 1200 DEF: 1200) Luna think of my Rorschach as if it were a puddle of rain or a drop of ink in a lake. Look at it and tell me what you see. Tell me if it reminds you of anything. Look into your fears, your dreams, even memories lost long ago. What do you see when you gaze into the abyss? A friend perhaps, your family, or maybe a far off place, dimming like the candle of time."

' _This guy's a nut,'_ Rin thought to herself.

"I… I see… I don't know."

"Look close… close… close. What do you see? Look close, Luna. Close. Look closely. What do you see?"

"Um, I see… A fairy?! Ahh!"

"What do you see?"

Luna cried out as Symmetry Rorschach attacked.

"Like the caterpillar that secludes itself in darkness before becoming a butterfly, you must face your fear. You must face you're memories and live through them again. Do not be scared."

"But I'm afraid."

"You must be brave enough to relive what happened many years ago. I know you have great power, dear Luna, I know that you hear the duel spirits. The others might not believe you, but I do. I'll help you return to that place, the Duel Monsters Spirit World. Yes, it was all real and not some figment of your imagination, Luna."

"I'm… I'm starting to remember Professor."

"I know you are, but for our next step you need to trust me Luna. Can you do that? I need, I need you to want to return to the Duel Spirit World and I need your promise, Luna."

"I… promise, Professor. Take me back."

"Very good. Now follow my instructions. When Symmetry Rorschach dispatched of your fairy, its special ability continued. Would you kindly turn over the top card of your deck and reveal it?"

"Kuribon."

"Thank you for identifying your monster. He will be most helpful in the next stage of our little experiment. Now, I need you to think back to that scary time when you were in your coma. Try to remember."

"I'm remembering."

"I place two cards face down. It's your turn. Don't be scared, Luna."

"I draw. And I summon out Kuribon. (lv 1 ATK: 300 DEF: 200)"

"Perfect. I play my face down. It is known as Light to the Depths. Like the Northern Star, this light illuminates the path inside of you. Now send the top five cards on your deck to the Graveyard, then reveal the sixth card adding it to your hand. And you must play that card as certain as the path of light itself or suffer two thousand points of damage.

"Now then, why don't we begin? Listen to my voice as I count them off. And one… perfect… two… three… four… five… and six. Wonderful. Now show me, what's the card you're holding in your hand? Ah, as I had hoped. The field spell Ancient Forest. You will use it. This forest is quiet the special place. All monsters are switched to attack mode and neither of us can summon or switch a monster to defense. Even if you were to attack, your monster would be destroyed once the battle is over. Heheheh, some say this forest resembles someplace else. Fighting forbidden, secrets revealed, why it's just like the Spirit World. Take us there now, we have work to do."

' _Uh-oh! This is not good!'_ Rin thought.

"Excellent. Luna has finally traveled to the Spirit World. Now I will truly test her Signer powers. My turn. And I'll be activating my face down Gestalt Trap. And this particular trap card will equip on your little Kuribon. (300 to 0) Not only are Kuribon's abilities canceled, but all his points, both attack and defense, go to zero.

"The trees aren't deaf, but they are mute to your crying pleas. Now then, I equip Immortal Homeostasis on Kuribon. Now he cannot be destroyed in battle. But sadly his fate is worse, for now, he serves as the architect of your loss. His original attack points have been altered and until they can finally be restored, you suffer three hundred points per round. Much like the ill-tempered dog who bites your hand, weather you bring food or foul. Next I sacrifice Symmetry Rorschach, and with that removed I can summon Ido the Supreme Magical Force. (lv 6 ATK: 2200 DEF: 800)"

' _Milady, I can hear Luna crying out from the Spirit World!'_ Valkyria informed.

' _There's nothing I can do right now, so I need to rely on you. Return to the Spirit World and protect Luna at all cost.'_ Rintold her.

' _As you command, Milady.'_

"Even though Ido will be destroyed if I attack with him, he will returns to my field at the end of every turn. Of course with him summoned though, no other monsters will be allowed on my field. A small price to pay. Ido the Supreme Magical Force, attack Kuribon!"

Luna: 1800

Professor: 4000

"That's it! I have to make sure she's alright!" Rin exclaimed as she ran out of the waiting room and toward the dueling field. When Rin emerged beside the dueling field, Luna had lost 300 life points due to the Professor's combo and had just summoned Sunlight Unicorn (lv 4 ATK: 1800 DEF: 1000) and equipped it with Horn of the Unicorn (1800 to 2500). Sunlight Unicorn attacked Ido the Supreme Magical Force and destroyed it.

"I broke through," she heard the professor say.

Luna: 1500

Professor: 3700

Sunlight Unicorn was then destroyed because of Ancient Forest effect.

"Here my voice, let it reach you," the Professor said. "Right now your spirit is traveling through the Spirit World. Tell me everything. Tell me about the secrets of that world you're in."

"Each time Horn of the Unicorn is sent to the Graveyard, it returns to the top of my deck. So I am now activating the spell card Emergency Assistance from my hand. This allows me to summon one monster you destroyed this turn. I summon Sunlight Unicorn."

"Well, I did not foresee this development."

' _She's trying to fight back. That's good. Hopefully, Valkyria can help her hold out,'_ Rin thought.

"If the card at the top of my deck is a spell card, then I can use Sunlight Unicorn's affect to add it to my hand."

"This is most frustrating."

"I equip my mystic steed with Horn of the Unicorn. I place two cards face down. It is your turn."

At the sound of hurried footsteps, Rin turned to see Yusei running toward her. "Luna. Luna!" he called out to her. "Rin, do you have any idea what he did to her?"

"That Professor, if you can call him that, has put Luna into some kind of hypnosis. It seems like she's trying to fight back, but I'm worried about her regardless. He looks pretty out of it himself, though," Rin told him. She opted out of mentioning the Spirit World.

All of a sudden, something grabbed Yusei's attention. Rin turned to where he was looking and was shocked by what she saw and what Yusei said next. "No way! She has mark just like mine!"

' _Just like…! Then Akiza right, Yusei does have Mark! And Luna has one, too.'_ "But what does it all mean?" Rin mumbled under her breath.

"It is my turn," the Professor said. "I draw."

"Her eyes are back to normal now," Yusei noticed.

"Where ever she was, she's back now," Rin stated. _'How is she, Valkyria?'_ she asked the magician when she appeared.

' _Luna will be fine now. Everything else is up to her now. Would you like to see?'_

Rin nodded. Magician's Valkyria placed her hand on Rin's shoulder and allowed her to view the duel through her minds eye.

"I activate my face down card! It's the spell Pixie Ring! There's two monsters on my field and their both in attack mode, so I can use to power of my Pixie Ring to form a protective barrier around the weaker one! You can't attack Kuribon now! He's safe! I promised to protect the spirits and that's what I'm gonna do!"

"How sweet! But can you protect yourself, from The Wave of Ill-Intent! Should you manage to destroy a monster of mine, then I'm afraid The Wave of Ill-Intent will crash into you for 300 points of damage! And now, Ido attacks your Sunlight Unicorn!"

Luna: 1500

Professor: 3400

"That attack doesn't matter! Because sometimes you must be willing to make sacrifices to achieve victory! Now I activate my Wave of Ill-Intent!"

Luna: 1200

Professor: 3400

"That wasn't that bad!"

"Well, unfortunately, it's about to get a lot worse! Because you destroyed a monster of mine, I can use the effect of my Prized Spirit Contamination spell! The corrosive power of this spell is capable of destroying one spell or trap card on your field!" He destroyed Pixie Ring.

"The Pixie Ring is gone! Sorry, Kuribon!"

"And now, during the end phase, my Ido resurrects once again. I end my turn."

"My move then, and I draw!"

"Since Kuribon's attack points have changed, you'll suffer the effect of Immortal Homeostasis! You must now endure 300 points of direct damage!"

Luna: 900

Professor: 3400

"I place one card face down! With that done, I activate Healing Wind from my hand which means for every single monster on the field including yours, I regain 200 life points! I end my turn!"

Luna: 1500

Professor: 3400

"Goodwin was a fool for thinking I would share the power of the Spirit World with him and the rest of his Illiaster servants. I've devoted my entire life to finding a way to connect to this world. Now that I'm finally standing here, I intend to steal its power for myself! The Spirit World is going to be mine! I will crumble before me! Hahahahahaha!"

"Oh no! The Spirit World is collapsing! I can't let it! I can't!"

"It's too late for this world or your Kuribon! Ido the Supreme Magical Force, attack!"

"Stop! I play Fairy Wind! Listen up, Professor! I'm not gonna let you do any more damage to the Spirit World! Your evil and destructive ways will end here and now!"

"What?!"

"I gave my word to protect this world and that means I'm gonna have to take out your precious life points! Even if it means risking my own at the same time!"

Luna: 300

Professor: 2200

"And since your equip spell is gone now, Kuribon's attack points return to 300! You won't win this duel!"

"And you will not stop me from achieving my destiny! Attack, now, Ido!"

"Kuribon's special ability activates! When Kuribon is attacked, he can return to my hand in order to avoid damage! You can't touch him! And even though you gain life points, at least I was able to keep my Kuribon safe!

Luna: 300

Professor: 4400

"I promised to protect him, I promised to protect the Spirit World, and I'm going to keep that promise!"

"No! My power will break you and your promise! There's nothing you can do to save this world! I will destroy it and rebuild it under my rule! Hahahahahah!"

"Fairy Dragon! Boy, she looks like she's really mad!"

' _I'll say!'_ Rin thought.

"Oh no! What is she doing!?" Ancient Fairy Dragon grabbed the Professor.

' _Wait, is she going to kill him?! No, she can't!'_

"She's going to crush him! No, don't do it! Then you're no better than he is! Put him down, okay!"

The dragon roared. Then Luna got an idea.

"Maybe if I can just end this duel…! I activate Oberon's Break! This trap reverse's Fairy Winds affect! And instead of restoring our life points, it damages us for the same amount!"

Luna: 0000 – DRAW

Professor: 0000 – DRAW

At the moment Luna's life points hit zero, Rin returned to the present. She saw that Luna was about to collapse and rushed to her side. Rin caught Luna just before she fell. Rin could hear the shocked voices of the crowd. She knew they recognized her as Jack's "sister" but she paid them no mind as she carried and unconscious Luna and made her way toward Yusei who was waiting for her behind the Professor. As they began walking back inside, they both stopped when Luna's glowing mark faded and she stirred.

"I can walk by myself, ya know!?" she said as she hopped out of Rin's arms.

Yusei and Rin smiled. "Welcome back," Yusei said.

"You know, you had us worried there, for a while," Rin added.

Luna began waving to crowd as she left the arena. Rin and Yusei made to follow her but paused for a moment to look to Goodwin's tower.

' _I don't know you're up to Goodwin or why you're looking for people with Marks, but I intend to find out.'_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Why does typing up an episode of a 30 minute show take over three hours!? (Screams and bangs head against a wall in frustration) Okay, now that I got that out of my system, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, favorited, and followed this story so far. I greatly appreciate every single one of you and your support. Also I would like to apologize. I was sick when I wrote chapter's 4 and 5, so I am very sorry if quality was lacking or if I made a few mistakes.

I would like to get your opinions on something over the next few updates: Do you think I should make this one long story or should I make the Ghosts/WRGP season a separate story? Please review and let me know what you think!


	8. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's_ , its characters, plot, settings, or cards. I only own Rin.

* * *

"You LOST!" Leo shouted at his sister. "How are we supposed to get dueling now, Luna?! It's not fair!"

"Well, just look who's talking. At least I didn't lose my match like you did," Luna retorted.

"Well, yeah, but…" Leo trailed off, having no come back for Luna's argument.

Rin couldn't help smiling at Leo's rant. She and Yusei had gone up to the stands with Luna after her duel with the Professor. They had wanted to make sure she was alright. Everything seemed fine until Luna grasped her arm where the Mark had been earlier.

"What's wrong, Luna? Hurt your arm during the duel?" Yanagi asked.

"Yeah, ya keep looking at it like your expecting to see something," Dexter added.

"Uh, my arm's fine. I promise," Luna said.

"If you say so. Now, I think it's time I get you two home," Yusei told them.

"Have fun babysitting them," Tanner said.

"All right! We'll have an all-night dueling sleepover!" Leo exclaimed. Suddenly, the announcer spoke.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, listen up! The second round has been announced. Check out the Competition Brackets!" The matches for tomorrow were as follows: Yusei vs Greiger in the first match and Akiza vs Commander Cota in the second. "Who knows what excitement awaits! Who will win?! Who will lose?! Four duelist, two rounds, one champion! Who will it be? Things are gonna get crazy! See ya tomorrow!"

"Yusei vs Greiger. Oh no, not him! Greiger's super tough! He even beat me." Leo stated, his previous excitement lost.

"Looks like you'll be Turbo Dueling," Tanner added.

"That bad?" Yusei asked.

"You bet, 'cause the rumor on the circuit says Greiger has a brand new Duel Runner he's gonna be using. It's supposed to be unbeatable," Tanner replied.

After Tanner said this, Leo seemed to get an idea in his head which had Rin and Luna worried.

"Uh, are you okay?" Luna asked him.

"Oh, yeah, fine!" he answered, too quickly for Rin's liking. "I just, um, left something somewhere else. Be right back!"

"Where are you going?" Luna asked him.

"Oh, uh you know that place with the, uh, oh look at the time! Buh- Bye!" he said as he ran off.

"But, Leo...! Oh, this can't be good," Luna stated.

"Should I be worried about him?" Rin asked her.

"Probably. By the way, Rin. Where are you staying during the tournament?" Luna asked.

"With everything going on, I hadn't really thought about it. Since I'm technically on vacation for the duration of the competition, I'd rather not go back to my apartment at work," Rin mused.

"You can stay at mine and Leo's apartment! Yusei's gonna be staying with us, and we have plenty of guest rooms," Luna suggested. Her eyes pleaded with Rin to say "yes".

"Well, when you give me that look, I can't possibly say no," Rin agreed.

 _A few hours later…_

Rin was in the Kitchen of the twins' apartment making dinner. She had insisted that the cook take the evening and next morning off, and that she would take care of the cooking. Just then, Luna entered the Kitchen. "Hey Rin?" she asked.

"Yes, Luna?"

"I wanted to thank you and Magician's Valkyria. You were both looking out for me during my duel today. If it hadn't been for the both of you, I don't know what might have happened."

"Don't you worry about it, Luna. Besides, Valkyria did the hard work. I couldn't really do much of anything," Rin told her.

"No, but I could sense that you were there watching over me. That gave me courage to keep dueling. That was a really big help. So, thanks."

Rin smiled at Luna. "Anytime." Not long after their conversation, Rin placed the last of the food on the table and sat down with Luna and Yusei to eat.

"Did you really make all this, Rin? It looks and smells delicious!" Luna told her.

"If I know you and your cooking as well as I used to, then it'll taste just as good if not better," Yusei added.

"Okay, now you're both flattering me," Rin said with a blush. However, her expression quickly turned to worry. "I'm worried about Leo, though. He should have been back by now, shouldn't he?"

"Your right, Rin," Luna agreed. "Leo's never late for dinner. He loves eating food almost as much as he loves dueling, maybe even more. And he knows 8:00 P.M. is curfew."

"I'll go out and find him. I have a feeling that he's in trouble," Yusei said as he stood.

"I'll go, too. We'll find him faster if we're both looking," Rin said as she also rose from her seat.

"I can help, too," Luna offered.

"You should stay here. It's late," Yusei told her.

"Come on, please! He's my brother. What if he's hurt? And we can cover more ground if all three of us are searching," she insisted.

"You do have a point, Luna. Alright, but be careful out there," Rin warned.

The three headed out in different directions to search for Leo. After about an hour of searching, they met up to check in. "So, did you find Leo?" Yusei asked them.

Rin shook her head "no".

"No, I didn't find him either. I'm scared," Luna said. They could hear the worry in her voice.

"Don't worry, Luna. You're brother's out here and we'll find him," Yusei reassured her. Just then, the phone in Yusei's runner started ringing. Rin got closer to see who it was as Yusei answered. The face of a man she didn't recognize popped up on the screen. "Blister?"

' _Blister? Must be another one of Yusei's friends from the city,'_ Rin thought.

"Yusei. I went to your friend's bunker, but the place has been totally trashed," Blister explained.

"Trashed?" both Yusei and Rin wondered aloud. "But there okay, right?" Yusei asked.

Blister shook his head before answering. "Their missing. I can't find a trace."

"No," Rin gasped.

"What happened?! Did Goodwin take them in!?" Yusei asked again.

"No idea. And here's where the trail goes cold. After I hacked into security, I couldn't find a trace of them. It's like they just vanished. And if Goodwin's gotten ahold of them, they could be anywhere by now," Blister explained. Suddenly, the video started to cut out. "Their tracking my signal. I've got to sign off quick! I'll call you back if I find anything."

"Thanks," Yusei said just before the call ended. Rin placed a hand on Yusei's shoulder in support.

"I'm sorry. Are your friends missing, too?" Luna asked them.

"Yeah," Rin and Yusei answer simultaneously.

Suddenly, a noise in the alley behind us caught all of our attention. We turned to see Greiger walking out of the alley, a sleeping Leo over his shoulder.

"He's got Leo!" Luna exclaimed.

"Greiger, what are you doing with Leo?" Yusei asked him.

"Relax, he's alright, Yusei. He broke into my garage. I found him sleeping on the floor," Greiger explained.

The group of four, five if you count the sleeping Leo, went back to the twins' apartment. Greiger put Leo to bed in his room while Rin and Yusei covered up Luna who had fallen asleep on the couch.

"The boy's sound asleep," Greiger said as he re-entered the living room.

"He sure can snore, can't he?" Yusei joked.

"Yep," Greiger replied with a grin. The two men went out to the "back porch" to talk without disturbing the kids. Rin stepped outside as well but remained near the door in case the kids needed something.

"Thanks for bringing Leo back. I owe you one," Yusei said.

"Forget it. The boy was just trying to help you out," Greiger replied.

"Help me out?" Yusei asked.

"He wanted a sneak peek at my new Duel Runner like everyone else out there. In fact, I had to install five new alarm systems just to keep it under wraps," Greiger explained.

"You gonna call security?" Yusei inquired.

"Heh, no. He reminds me of my own little brother," he said. "I'm not gonna punish him just cause he's trying to help you win our duel tomorrow. It won't make a difference, you're still going down," he added.

' _Greiger really is a good guy. He may be overly serious, but still a good guy,'_ Rin thought with a smile.

"I may be a good guy off the track, but trust me when I say that you don't wanna mess with me when I'm turbo dueling," Greiger warned. "After all, these are the big leagues, Yusei, and there's quite a bit riding on this tournament for me and my future."

"What, like a big trophy?" Yusei asked.

"Big trophy? No, the future I'm taking about is for my family. There far away, waiting, hoping I bring them some help. We used to count the stars together. Here, there's only smog. And you, why are you dueling here?" Greiger asked Yusei.

"My friends. I don't have a choice about it," Yusei told him.

"Let me guess, Goodwin made you an offer you couldn't refuse. Sound right?"

"How'd you know? Did he come to you, too?" Yusei asked.

Greiger nodded. "He offered me a chance to rebuild my family's village. My people believe that our forefathers were servants of the People of the Stars and our village has a deep hidden power."

"Hidden power? Are you taking about the Legend of the Crimson Dragon?" Yusei wondered aloud.

' _Wait, Legend of the Crimson Dragon? That's it, Yusei knows something I don't and I wanna know what it is!'_ Rin thought to herself.

"That's right. The legend has it that whoever controls the Dragon also gets to control the destiny of the world. I haven't been back to my village in years, but after I complete my mission here, I'll head back to rebuild my home."

"You can't trust Goodwin's word, Greiger," Yusei advises.

"Easy for you to say, but I need his power to help rebuild my village. I heard it was consumed with fire and destruction unlike any natural disaster ever seen. Then Director Goodwin came to me. He said that he'd help, but not until I promised to help him with his quest."

The fate of Greiger's village brought tears to Rin's eyes. _'Greiger is dueling to help his family and his village. Yusei is fighting to save his friends. They both have noble intentions, and if the world was just then they would both get what they're dueling for. But with Goodwin pitting them against each other, it's been guaranteed that someone will lose and the people they care about will suffer. Damn you, Goodwin!'_

"Greiger, don't you see you're being used?" Yusei tried to convince him.

"If it's the only way to rebuild my village, then I'll let him use me all he wants, Yusei. Sorry, but tomorrow I have to win no matter what."

"And my friends need me," Yusei said determinedly.

"Then I guess we'll leave it at that. May the best man win." With that said, Greiger began to leave. "You're a good guy, and in a perfect world we'd both get what we want in the arena tomorrow. But the world isn't perfect. One of us has to lose, and tomorrow it's going to be you."

Rin followed Greiger back into the apartment. "Greiger. For whatever it's worth, I'm sorry about your village. I wish there was something I could do to help," she told him.

Greiger chuckled. "You know, Rin, Jack Atlas might claim to be your brother, but your nothing like him. Keep it that way. This world is a much better place with people like you in it." Then he left the apartment.

Rin once more walked onto the "back porch" and stood next to Yusei. She sighed. "Tomorrow is going to be the toughest duel you've ever faced thus far, isn't it?" she asked him.

Yusei nodded in response. It was safe to say that neither of them were looking forward to tomorrow.


	9. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's_ , its plot, characters, settings or cards. I only own Rin.

* * *

The second day of The Fortune Cup and come all too soon for Rin's liking. She acted as if nothing was wrong when she had made breakfast for herself, Yusei, and the twins. In all honesty, though, she had been dreading the duel that was about to start. She was once again in the stands with Luna, Dexter, Yanagi and Tanner as they waited for the duel to start.

"Welcome back to the Semi-Finals of The Fortune Cup!" the announcer began. "Four duelist remain, and the winner will take on Jack Atlas in the Championship duel. First up in our Turbo Duel, we've got Yusei Fudo squaring off against the Tower of Power, Greiger! Start your engines!"

"Luna, have you seen Leo?" Yanagi asked.

"Yeah. He said he had something important to tell Yusei," Luna told them.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, let's hear it for Yusei!" the announcer said as Yusei entered the track.

Suddenly, the sound of metal scrapping metal sounded through the stadium.

"What's that sound? An earthquake?" Yanagi asked. The sound seemed to get closer until Greiger emerged on a massive Duel Runner, the likes of which Rin had never seen before.

"Will ya look at that?! It's the most incredible Duel Runner I've ever seen! It's a whopper of a chopper! It's the wheels with appeal! Ladies and Gentlemen, it's Greiger and his beast!" The announcer stated.

"That's some Duel Runner!" Tanner exclaimed. "Yusei's gonna have his work cut out for him."

"What I miss?!" Leo asked.

"Just that!" Rin stated.

"Greiger's Runner!" Luna said.

"That's the thing I saw in Greiger's garage! No wonder he had an alarm. That thing looks so cool!" Leo thought aloud.

"And now, take out your Speed World Field Spells and let's activate 'em!" the announcer stated. "Remember, only the winner advances and in a Turbo Duel only speed spells can be used."

Yusei: 4000

Greiger: 4000

"I'll make the first move, Yusei," Greiger said. "I draw. And I think I'll start with this, Spell Reactor RE! And next I'll throw down three face downs. You're up!"

"I summon out my, un…!"

"Now how's Yusei supposed to concentrate when he's got 3000 decibels of horse power blaring in his ear, huh?!" Tanner asked.

"Who says he can?" Leo asked back.

"First, I'll throw down a face down and then I'll summon my Speed Warrior!"

"In that case, I'll activate my face down trap card Hidden Soldiers! Now yours truly gets a level 4 monster from my hand. And I got just the one for you, he goes by Trap Reactor Y FI! And with this card on my field, Yusei, I only need one more for a big surprise!"

"I think I know what Greiger has planned guys," Dexter said nervously.

"Yusei better rev it up, and I mean fast," Tanner added.

' _Yusei…'_ Rin thought to herself.

"For the first round Speed Warrior's on the field, he gets double his attack points. Now send that reactor back to the shop!"

Yusei: 4000

Greiger: 3400

"No way!"

"Don't tell me you're shocked. I had two face downs on the field and one of them was Fake Explosion. And not only does this trap knock out your low-octane attack but I get a bonus. As in a level 5 monster from my hand bringing your surprise early. Summon Reactor SK, join the party!"

"He's got all three reactor monsters in play," Dexter stated.

"At least he doesn't have Delta Reactor," Leo said.

"You just had to say that didn't you, Leo?" Rin asked rhetorically.

"Now I will activate my Delta Reactor! This card sends Summon Reactor, Trap Reactor, and Spell Reactor all to the Graveyard. I hate to do this to you, Yusei, but like I told you last night, one of us has to lose and today it's you."

"Yusei, no!" Leo cried out.

"Now, I summon Flying Fortress SKY FIRE!" (lv 8 ATK: 3000 DEF: 2500)

"It looks like that bad bike's not just for show! Greiger brings out his big bang beast in the second round!"

"If you thought it was loud in here before, just get a load of this! You lose 800 points of damage if you ever summon a monster or place one card face down. And if that weren't enough, the card you just played will also be destroyed. Just face it, friend! You can't make a move without getting hurt. My family need me, which means that you're going to have to lose this match Yusei!"

"We're going into round three of this nerve-wracking duel and Greiger is now in the driver's seat!" the announcer stated.

"It's my turn. Flying Fortress SKY FIRE, take out Yusei's Speed Warrior!"

Yusei: 1900

Greiger: 3400

"Yusei has taken a lashing, he's spinning out, he's gonna… wait, no, he's managed to gain control! But that direct attack has forced Yusei to shift gears and his game plan as it looks like the 2100 points of damage he took cost him all the speed counters he'd gained so far!" the announcer said.

"That's not good!" Leo stated.

"It'll be hard to catch up!" Yanagi exclaimed.

"Hah! You seem like a nice enough guy, Yusei, but you gotta fall! 'Cause I've got too much riding on this duel to risk losing it!" Greiger said as he placed a face down.

"And so do I! From my hand I summon Shield Warrior in defense mode!"

"Too bad your Warrior can't shield itself from my assault! Remember, when you play a card, that card is destroyed and SKY FIRE reigns 800 points of damage from above."

Yusei: 1100

Greiger: 3400

"Yusei spins out again!" the announcer said.

"I place one card face down and end my turn!"

"Greiger is seriously wiping the track with Yusei! The kids got no speed counters, no monsters on his field! If Greiger nails him with a direct attack on this next turn, Yusei's Fortune Cup will be over!" the announcer exclaimed.

"He's done! Greiger's got him to where he can't even summon a monster without the thing getting obliterated right away! Oh man, Greiger won't quit! He's just a hulking tower of ruthlessness!" Leo shouted.

"You didn't notice that when you were dueling him?" Luna asked.

"Leo was just too excited to be dueling to notice things like his opponent," Yanagi answered.

"I wouldn't put this duel in the bushes just yet. Yusei could win this," Tanner stated.

"He can?" Yanagi asked

"You betcha," Rin said. "Now what do we know about this Flying Fortress SKY FIRE of Greiger's?"

"Well, we know it's big, we know it's loud, we know it's powerful, and we know that once a turn it can destroy on card Yusei plays the second he plays it," Dexter listed off.

"And as soon as Greiger destroyed Shield Warrior, Yusei placed a card face down," Tanner added.

"I get it! You're thinking the summoning of Shield Warrior was a diversion!" Dexter realized. "His real goal was that face down!"

"I'll bet you a corn dog that cards a game changer, like Mirror Force!" Rin said confidently.

"It's my turn. Here I come! Behind you, Yusei! Get ready for a direct assault!"

"That's what I was hoping for!"

"But why?!"

"So I can play Wasteland Tornado! Now I can use this card to lay waste to one trap card. And the card I'm destroying is Limiter Break!"

"Why are you destroying your own card?!"

"Because this cards destruction gives me the power to summon Speed Warrior from my Graveyard. And with a monster in defense mode, I won't take any damage!"

"You may have just dodged my assault, but I still managed to rid you of one of your face down cards. And I didn't have to get rid of any of my own cards to do it!"

"Tanner, Rin, he didn't play Mirror Force. Where's Dex's corn dog?" Leo asked.

"Well, we never shook," Tanner spoke for the both of them.

"I place one card face down and end my turn."

"It's my move! Rally…From my hand, I summon Massive Warrior in attack mode." (lv 2 ATK: 600 DEF: 1200)

"With another monster summoned, another monster gets leveled and another 800 points of direct damage are coming your way due to my SKY FIRE's special ability."

Yusei: 300

Greiger: 3400

"Whoa! Greiger has lapped Yusei!" the announcer exclaimed.

"I'm playing the speed spell Zero Reverse! And now I re-summon Massive Warrior!"

"Why would he summon a monster that can't attack?"

"Remember, we've got something in common Greiger. We're both out for our own. And if I plan on winning this battle, I'll need my friends to get me to the finish line. This is for you, Rally, and the rest of my pals! I summon Turbo Booster in attack mode!" (lv 1 ATK: 0 DEF: 0)

' _Turbo Booster? But isn't that Rally's card? Did Rally give it to Yusei?'_ Rin wondered.

"Now, Massive Warrior, attack Greiger's SKY FIRE!"

"You're just sending your monster to its doom!"

"Not with Turbo Booster's special ability! You see, by releasing this card, I can take out a monster of yours as long as it's battling against one of mine!"

"But because of the battle, I'm still able to win this duel."

"I don't think so. Massive Warrior can make my battle damage become zero. I release Turbo Booster!"

"Whoa, talk about a comeback! Yusei has blasted Greiger's SKY FIRE out of the sky!" The announcer stated. "Incredible! Yusei has destroyed Greiger's SKY FIRE! Oh, the humanity!"

"You may have grounded my air assault, but let's see how you handle my Chariot Pile trap card!"

"Oh, no!" Rin and the kids cried."

"You won't defeat me Yusei! There's too much at stake here! I respect you as a duelist, Yusei, but I've got something I must do! And you're just a road block standing in my way! Chariot Pile's affect activates! So once per turn, my Chariot hit you for 800 points of damage! Looks like your life points are about to get speared, Yusei! There's no way you can out run my attack!"

"Maybe, but I can certainly out-maneuver it by sacrificing my Massive Warrior!"

"You can try to defend yourself all you want, but you're only delaying your own defeat!"

"It's my move! I summon to the field Junk Synchron! And because I successfully summoned it out, I can also summon a monster out directly from my graveyard. So I re-summon Speed Warrior! And because Speed Warrior's here on the field, I can now give him a little tune up!"

"That won't help you, Yusei!"

"Junk Warrior, let's rev it up! Send his life points to the junk pile! Go, Scrap Fist!"

"Not good enough Yusei! I'm afraid Chariot Pile has another affect! When your monster attacks me directly, I can sacrifice 800 life points to deflect your monsters attack and destroy your monster!"

Yusei: 300

Greiger: 2600

"Man, Yusei just can't seem to keep a monster on the field," Leo stated.

"I place one card face down and end my turn."

"It's my move. And I summon Black Salvo! (lv 3 ATK: 100 DEF: 1100) So, with the power of my Black Salvo, I'm bring back my Trap Reactor Y FI. And now I tune my level 3 Black Salvo with my level 4 Trap Reactor Y FI!"

"A Synchro Summon!?"

"You're surprised? You're not the only duelist that uses Synchro monsters. I give you Dark Strike Fighter! (lv 7 ATK: 2600 DEF: 1800) And now it's going to attack you directly!"

"Not if I activate my trap card, Synchro Spirits! By removing on Synchro monster in my graveyard from play, I can re-summon the monsters that were originally needed to summon it! So I'm taking Junk Warrior out of the duel! Now Junk Synchron and Speed Warrior can return to the field!"

"What's this?! How'd he survive that attack?!"

"By taking Shield Warrior from my graveyard and removing him from play, I can negate all battle damage!"

"Then I think Chariot Pile's affect! The only way for you negate this damage is for you to sacrifice your other monster!"

"Well then, that's exactly what I'm gonna do!"

"You've got an answer to everything I throw your way, don't you? Well let's see what you do about the Ultimate Flare trap card which allows me to summon an Ultimate Flare token!"

"Anyone know what that does?" Leo asked.

"Let's just say Yusei's about to get knocked around a bit for another 800 points of damage," Tanner replied.

"And on top of that, Greiger's fighter can now deal damage equal to 200 times the level of the released monster," Dexter added.

"And Ultimate Flare Token is a level 10," Tanner finished.

"That comes out to…um…" Leo tries to figure out.

"10 time 200 comes out to 2000 points of damage," Luna did the math for him.

"2000?!" Leo and Yanagi exclaimed.

"That's way more damage than Yusei has life points," Rin told them.

"Now I'm afraid your fate has been sealed, Yusei! There is nothing you can do to win this Turbo Duel now! On my next turn, you're finished!"

"Things are looking helpless for Yusei! He's holding no cards in his hand, one monster on the field, everything depends on his next draw," the announcer said.

"Let's do this! This should get me where I wanna go, I summon Tuning Supporter in attack mode! (A.k.a. Tuningware: lv 1 ATK: 100 DEF: 300) Next, I tune my Junk Synchron with my Tuning Supporter! I synchro summon Armory Arm! (lv 4 ATK: 1800 DEF: 1200)"

"You're grasping at straws, Yusei! That monster can't defeat my Dark Strike Fighter!"

"Maybe not, but when Tuning Supporter is used to synchro summon, It enables me to draw another card straight to my hand!"

"Yusei has managed to squeeze some more life out of his floundering deck!" the announcer stated.

"Go, Yusei!" the twins cried.

"Make this work!" Tanner shouted.

"Come on, Yusei. I know you can win this," Rin whispered.

Yusei drew and cracked a smile. "Was that a smile? Did I see a smile?" Leo asked.

"Yes you did, Leo," Rin answered with a smile of her own.

"I activate the Synchro Return speed spell card! And as long as I have 5 or more speed counters, I can use this card to bring back a synchro monster I removed from play earlier in the duel! So say hello again to my Junk Warrior! Next, I activate Armory Arms special ability!"

"What?!"

"Now my Junk Warrior gains 1000 more attack points! And with that boost, my Junk Warrior is more powerful than your Dark Strike Fighter, so you know what's next! Junk Warrior, attack!"

Yusei: 300

Greiger: 1900

"And now I activate Armory Arms special ability! And that means that this duel is over! You said that one of us was going to have to lose today, and it looks like that someone is you!"

"Impossible!"

Yusei: 300 – winner

Greiger: 0000

As Greiger's life points hit zero, Rin rose from her seat and left the stadium. She felt horrible enough about this duel, yet she cheered for Yusei for the sake of her friends. She didn't need to stay to see the aftermath. Instead, she made her way outside to the Arcadia Movement Mobile Command. She wanted to talk to Akiza before her duel. Maybe talking with her best friend could help clear her head.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** First, I would like to thank everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed this story so far. I really do appreciate every single one of you. I also have an announcement to make regarding the update scedule for this story. Due to the holidays and the amount of time it takes to write and edit these chapters, I might be cutting back to one chapter per update. I will aim for two chapters like always, but I can't promise I'll get them both done. I will also post this revised holiday schedule on my profile page. For now, though, Happy Thanksgiving! Love you all!


	10. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's_ , its characters, plot, settings, or cards. I only own Rin.

* * *

As Rin entered Akiza's room in the Arcadia Mobile Command, she was surprised to see Akiza watching the television so intently. _'She must have been watching Yusei.'_ Rin thought to herself.

"Hey Rin! Did you see what happened after the duel ended?" Akiza asked.

Rin shook her head. "No. I left the stadium as soon as Grieger's life points hit zero. What happened?"

"Grieger accused Goodwin of destroying his village and tried to attack him! Yusei intervened and stopped him, though," Akiza told her. "Then, as security took Grieger away, Goodwin made some excuse of a speech about how Grieger had a mental break after losing to Yusei. What do you think about all of it?"

"I don't believe a word out of Goodwin's mouth," Rin said with a scowl. "I don't know Grieger that well, but I know he would have 'mental break' after one loss. As for why he attacked Goodwin, I can't condone his attempt for vengeance," she sighed. "But I can certainly see why he would resort to it. This whole Fortune Cup is turning into one big disaster."

"How so? Add what do mean by "you don't know him that well"?" Akiza asked. Rin sighed once more and told Akiza everything that had happened last night. From finding out that her friends may have been kidnapped by Goodwin's men to the conversation with Grieger. "That explains a lot, I guess," Akiza said after letting it all sink in. "It certainly sheds a whole new light on that last duel. I'm sorry, Rin. It could have been easy to watch, knowing your friends' safety was at risk."

"Thanks, Aki, but they aren't the only ones I'm worried about. Goodwin is up to something. I think he's looking for people with marks like yours and he's using this tournament to find them."

"That would explain why he invited Yusei. He had a mark on his arm when I saw him at the street duels," Akiza thought aloud.

"It also explains why he invited Luna. A mark appeared on her arm during her duel with that freaky Professor," Rin explained. "You're opponent during this duel is going to do everything in his power to get your mark to reveal itself. Please Aki, promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise. Are you going to be in the stands again?" Akiza asked.

"Yeah. I'll meet you in the hallway after the duel. Good luck," Rin said before she left Akiza to prepare for the duel and returned to the Kaiba Dome. Not long after she arrived in the stands, the announcer began started to introduce the duelists for the next match.

"Welcome back to our second Semi-Final duel! Now entering the arena, the dueling detective, Commander Koda! And his opponent, the magician with the moves, the prestidigitator with the plan, the Black Rose!"

Rin could hear the people in the audience stand up and make excuses to leave, fearful of Akiza's power. "Oh, great," she muttered under her breath. "It's already started."

"Last time she dueled, she almost blew this building down," Leo stated.

"I know, but I'm not scared. In fact, I'd be great if that happened. I haven't done one ounce of homework all week long," Dexter replied.

Yanagi chuckled. "I haven't done a day of homework my whole life, and just look, I turned out perfect," he added.

' _That's weird. Tanner isn't here. He's probably down with Yusei,'_ Rin thought to herself.

"Now, let's get this match started!" the announcer exclaimed.

"Let's Do This!"

Akiza: 4000

Koda: 4000

"I hope you don't mind, but ladies first," Akiza said as she drew. "I summon Violet Witch (lv. 4 ATK: 1100 DEF: 1200)! And next up, I'm casting the field spell Black Garden that's in my hand."

"Well, will you look at that? It seems our Black Rose happens to have a green thumb, doesn't she?"

"I play a face down. It's your turn."

"The Black Rose is growing strong with her garden field spell. Will the Commander prune or be pricked?" the Announcer asked.

"Not a bad move, but entirely predictable because I've been studying you Black Rose. I know your every card, every move. Your past is a crime scene and I'm just following the clues until I finally bring you down. So for now, I'll just play this and end my turn."

' _Stalker, much!?'_ Rin thought.

"One card?! But he's dueling a witch! He'll never win playing like that!" the announcer stated.

"Tell the man with the mic he'd better think again. This girl is no witch, she has the power of telekinesis! Which means she can move objects with her mind. But that doesn't mean you're above the law! If you think you have power, wait 'til you see what justice has in store for you!"

' _Wait, how does he know about Akiza's powers?'_ Rin thought shocked and concerned.

"It's my turn. I draw! Violet Witch, attack the Commander directly!"

Akiza: 4000

Koda: 2900

"The Commander is down! Witch or not, the Black Rose's attacks still pack a real punch!" The announcer stated.

"Feels just like it did last time, Akiza. During our match at Duel Academy."

Both Akiza and Rin gasped. _'Oh no! This could get ugly fast!'_ Rin thought to herself, worry and panic beginning to set in.

"I've never forgotten. I was a third year Obelisk Blue. I was all set to turn pro. Then this new girl, a Slifer Red, walks up and challenges me. Your psychic powers destroyed my deck and almost me along with it. I left pro dueling to study the criminal mind. I've tracked down the most dangerous duelists in New Domino City, but I was saving you for last. And thanks to Goodwin, I've got just the card for my vengeance.

"I know you. You think you're better than everyone else. Look at me! I'm Akiza the Telekinetic! Well, guess what? It's time for justice! I activate my face down trap card, Crime and Punishment! I activated as soon as you attacked me. And now your monster's completely destroyed!"

"You've just activated her special ability! If Violet Witch is ever sent to the Graveyard, I get to take a plant-type monster from my deck and add it to my hand. It serves you right for confusing justice with revenge. I select Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis!"

"Akiza, justice is revenge. And your punishment is just beginning. Remember my Crime and Punishment trap card? Well, its other affect is to automatically summon a monster from my hand. Like Agent of Hatred (lv. 4 ATK: 0000 DEF: 0000)! You can think of the two of us as Good Cop and Bad Cop."

"You wanna play in my garden?! You've gotta pay the price! My field spell cuts your monsters attack points in half!"

"Not a bad counter-effect. Too bad it doesn't have any attack points for you to take away. I know your deck and how to get around your little tricks."

"Well then, you must have seen this coming didn't you?! Because you summoned Agent of Hatred, I get to summon my own Rose Token! It can't attack, but it can't be destroyed in battle either! So I guess that leaves us with two monsters that aren't really good for anything."

"You're wrong again. I didn't summon my Agent to attack, but to use its special ability! So each round I recover the life points I lost during one of my battles and that's something your telekinetic powers can't undo. Looks like the rose has lost her thorns."

Akiza: 4000

Koda: 4000

"How can he lose if he keeps getting his life points back?" Leo asked.

"Eh, maybe he can't?" Yanagi suggested.

"Not in battle, anyway," Rin explained. "Agent of Hatred restores the life points he lost in battle. It won't restore the life points he'll lose from card effects. Akiza can still win this if she has the right cards."

"What's wrong, Luna? Is your arm still bothering you?" Leo asked his sister. She had been strangely quiet since the duel started.

"No, it's, um… nothing," Luna answered. This concerned Rin, who placed a hand comfortingly on her shoulder before turning back to the duel.

"I'm summoning Phoenixian Seed (lv. 2 ATK: 800 DEF: 0000) to my field in defense mode! Your last move gave me the idea to play this. See, it doesn't have any attack points to cut in half either (A/N: Yes it does), but a Rose Token is still summoned. And because I summoned the monster, it's going to appear on your side of the field. Now I activate my Rose Flame trap card! Now let's see your Good Cop, Bad Cop routine try and handcuff this sweet-smelling maneuver of mine!"

Akiza: 4000

Koda: 3500

"Not bad. I read about that combo the first time you used it when you were five years old."

"Okay. Now I'm officially calling 'Stalker'!" Rin said.

"It was your very first duel, when you learned about your curse. You're power was uncontrollable. You couldn't stop, you were a danger to yourself and to others. Then, you're parents sent you away for help. Yet you refused to give up the power you had inside you."

"I'm learning to control it! I want to use it so that I can help people!"

"Help people? You've caused nothing but destruction and pain, including my own! You don't care who your power hurts!"

"It's not my fault."

"Incompetence, like ignorance, is no excuse, Akiza!"

"But, I'm not looking for excuses."

"Once this duel is over, I know that you'll thank me for this. My job is to make sure society is safe, and I don't plan on letting society down! I'm going to send you to a special facility to cure you of your afflictions, whether you like it or not. And now to cure you! I activate Mind Monster! Just think of it as a guessing game.

"I choose any monster I want, and if you happen to have it, then you lose half its attack points. And if all my research is right, you've got Black Rose Dragon! And I hope you've realized by now that my research is always right. Now, why don't we give you a taste of your own medicine, Akiza? Black Rose Dragon has 2400 attack points, which means you take 1200 points in damage. If ya play with fire, you're gonna get burned!"

Akiza: 2800

Koda: 3500

"And the Commander responds with his first attack against the Black Rose!" the announcer exclaims.

"How about that? 1200 points of damage and I didn't even need to use any psychic powers! Unlike your "spells", I don't need to cheat! Now I switch Rose Token to defense mode and end my turn."

"You'll wish you'd never called me a cheat!"

"Akiza, what are you trying to do? Contact your psychic friends? Well, they can't help you! You are all mine!"

Rin and Akiza gasped. _'How does he know about the Movement?!'_ Rin thought to herself in a worried panic.

"You may know about my friends and my deck, but you don't know what's really inside me! You cannot profile someone's heart! And while that's sinking in, I'm activating this! Phoenixian Seed's special ability! By sending this card straight to my Graveyard, I can now summon my other Phoenixian monster directly from my hand. Cluster Amaryllis (lv 8 ATK: 2200 DEF: 0000)!"

"The Black Rose's new monster sprouts to the field, but it won't escape her Black Garden field spell! Amaryllis loses half its power and the Commander gets a new Rose Token! And you know what that means! The Rose Flame trap instantly activates! Is it me or is it getting hot in hear?!" the announcer said.

Akiza: 2800

Koda: 3000

"Commander, I don't need psychic powers to tell me what to do next! Amaryllis, attack his Rose Token!"

Akiza: 2800

Koda: 2700

"Amaryllis is automatically destroyed, but its special ability activates! I'm sure you know what happens now. The card goes to the Graveyard and you take 800 points of damage. Now, surely your research should have told you that this was coming!"

Akiza: 2800

Koda: 1900

"It'll take a lot more than wilting flowers to beat me!"

"Don't forget! Due to the Commander's Agent of Hatred, he gets back the points he lost this round," the announcer stated.

Akiza: 2800

Koda: 2200

"You will not defeat me, Akiza! No matter how many times you attack, I won't rest until I make sure you never hurt anyone again! And once I win, you're going to that special facility. And once you're there, they'll dispatch you of your power!"

"Well, I don't plan on losing today! Now I play a face down, but don't draw just yet because I can re-summon my Cluster Amaryllis from my Graveyard to the field in defense mode!"

"The Black Rose gets her monster back, but the field spell give the Commander another Rose Token!" the announcer exclaims.

"Which means my trap activates again!"

Akiza: 2800

Koda: 1700

"Ouch! It's another fiery finish from the Black Rose!" the announcer declares.

"You're asking for it, Akiza! And now you're about to get it! I knew you'd fill my field with Rose Tokens! It's what I wanted! Now I can sacrifice them to summon my own monster, the Mad Profiler (lv. 8 ATK: 2600 DEF: 1600)!"

' _I know you are, but what is he,'_ Rin thought angrily at the Commander.

"I'm sure you've noticed the professional resemblance, since we're both in the same business of making sure you never hold a dueling deck again!"

"What a move! But that doesn't mean the Mad Profiler escapes the Black Rose's field spell! But this time the token's on Akiza's side of field!" the announcer said.

"Now I'll tap into my Mad Profiler's special ability. So, by sending a spell card to the graveyard, I can remove any other spell card from the game. And I've got just the one in mind."

"He got rid of the Black Garden field spell!" Leo exclaimed.

"And now all the monsters will get back their attack points that were cut in half," Dexter added.

"My Profiler can work with more cards than just spells! I can send a monster card to the graveyard to destroy any one of your monsters," he said as Amaryllis was destroyed. "Hah! That even's things up! Now what do ya say we battle! Mad Profiler, attack! Take out her Rose Token with Mad Dash Destruction!"

Akiza: 1000

Koda: 1700

"Now that that Token is out of the way, I think it's time for me to end this duel and put you away for good!"

"Next up, I play my equip spell and it goes by the name of Destruction Insurance! Now I activate a second equip spell, Lightlow Protection!"

"And now it's my turn! And I summon Twilight Rose Knight (lv. 3 ATK: 1000 DEF: 1000)! My combo won't be a surprise, after all, aren't you the Profiler who spent the last few years studying me?! Instead of offering to help, you treat me like a monster! So, all I can do is answer with a monster of my own! I combine my knight with my two Rose Tokens to synchro summon Black Rose Dragon!"

"This is it!" Leo cried.

"There is nothing you can do that will surprise me! I know your each and every move! Just face it, Black Rose! You can't win!"

At that moment the energy controller in Akiza's hair fell to the ground and her bangs covered her face. _'Oh no! Oh, bad, oh, bad, oh, bad! She's losing control!'_ Rin thought.

"It's about more than winning. It's about finding your place in the world. And I know where I belong. I'm through hiding behind the mask! I'm going to show everyone in this arena my true powers and win this duel!"

"Akiza…" Rin whispered to herself.

"Good luck, because as long as I've got my equip spells and line up of monsters, I'm untouchable!"

"The commander's right! Psychic, Witch, it doesn't matter! The Black Rose can't get to him! What will she do?!" the announcer exclaimed.

"I activate Black Rose Dragon's special ability! If I take a plant type monster from my Graveyard and remove it from play, then your monsters attack points go to zero!"

"Hah! That's what I was waiting for! Now my equip spell activates! And because you used Black Rose Dragon's special ability, my Lightlow Protection automatically destroys it!"

"A nice spell, but I still have my trap card Rose Curse! You spent so much time studying my past that you never even stopped to look at the person I've become! And because of that, your life points are now going to suffer for your narrow-mindedness! My Rose Curse is a new card! One you could never profile! I'm sorry, but you've brought this upon yourself!"

Akiza: 1000 - Winner

Koda: 0000

"And it's over! The Black Rose is our winner!" the announcer stated.

At that moment, Rin rose from her seat and bolted out of the stands to the hallway leading out of the arena. As Akiza entered the hallway from the duel field, she saw Rin and began tear up.

Rin walked up to her "sister" and hugged her. As she did so, Akiza began to cry and buried her face in Rin's shoulder. "Shhhh, it's okay now, Aki. You're not alone anymore. I'm here, and I'll always be here. I promise," Rin whispered to her. Deep down, though, Rin wondered if she could keep that promise.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** First, I would like to thank everyone who has followed, favorited, and reviewed this story. It really does mean a lot to me. I would also like to thank you for being patient with me during the holidays and my slower update schedule. I asked this in an earlier chapter, however, I feel like I should ask again. I would like your opinion: Should I make this one long story, or should I make the Ghost/WRPG arc its own separate story. Please review and let me know what you think about it.


	11. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 **Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's_ or anything related to it. I only own Rin.

* * *

Rin and Akiza were making their way to the Arcadia trailer after the last duel. On their way, however, they ran into Yusei. "Everything okay Akiza? Rin?" he asked them.

"I'm fine," Akiza bit back as she gripped her mark.

Rin sighed. _'She hasn't changed.'_ "We're alright. Thanks Yusei," Rin said.

He nods slightly at Rin before turning his attention to Akiza. "So, what's your deal with these marks of ours? When you saw mine the other day, you really freaked out."

Rin eyes widened slightly. _'He…really does have a mark. Why hasn't he told me about it, then?'_

"Yeah, well, this mark has brought me nothing pain," Akiza said bitterly. "So what good can come from having another one of them around? Ya got that!? It's dangerous, so just keep away!"

Just then the kids came running up. "Yusei!" Leo shouted.

"There you are!" Luna added.

"We need you to settle an argument," Leo finished. That's when they noticed Rin and Akiza. "The Witch!" Leo exclaimed without thinking, causing Akiza to glare at him and Rin to shoot him a disapproving look. However, Yusei stepped in before Rin had the chance.

"Leo, she's not a witch," he correct.

"Sorry. Force of habit," Leo apologized.

Akiza looked away from the kids sadly, but before anyone could question it, someone else interrupted.

"What's going on back here? Everybody getting along nicely?" Lazard asked as he approached. He spoke again before Rin could snap at him. "Quite the duel just now, Miss Akiza, very impressive." Rin glared at him. "Before the final round gets under way, Director Goodwin has a few things he'd like to talk to you about," Lazard said. "Without you're guard dog," he added upon glancing at Rin.

Rin moved from her spot beside Akiza to stand protectively in front of her. "Nice try, you midget clown! But the only way that's happening is over my dead, lifeless corpse!" Rin retorted with a glare.

"While that is a bit extreme, Rin is correct," a different voice added from behind. "Akiza must rest."

Both Akiza and Rin turned to see Sayer along with two Arcadia "guards". The two guards took their places beside and slightly ahead of Rin, acting as a shield for herself and Akiza while Sayer stood directly in front.

"And you are?" Lazard asked annoyed.

"Don't play dumb, Lazard. You're reputation precedes you. We both know you don't like surprises, so let's not waste time pretending you haven't done your homework like I have," Sayer answered. "Stay away from Akiza and tell the Director she's not interested in anything he has to say. Now, if you'll excuse us."

The group of five made their way past Lazard without trouble and Rin let out a sigh of relief. Once the group had reached the trailer and Akiza was resting in her room, Rin decided to head back to the Arena. There was something she needed to discuss with Yusei, and with the way the tournament had been going, she knew she couldn't wait. She found him in the garage, preparing his deck. "Hey, Yusei? Can I talk to you about something?" She asked as she entered.

Yusei put his deck down as he answered. "Sure, Rin. Is something bothering you?"

"Something's been bothering me about this whole tournament from the very beginning. So far, Luna's duel against that Professor and the duels so far today have only made my suspicions worse."

"What suspicions, Rin?" Yusei asked.

"Goodwin is searching for people who have those marks. I don't why he looking, but he is. And so far, four of them here today. Both Akiza's and Luna's marks appeared during their last duels, I know for a fact that Jack used to have a mark on his arm back in the Satellite, and apparently you have one, too. Considering that Goodwin probably kidnapped Rally and other just to force you into this tournament is proof enough that he's will to go to any lengths to find the people who have these marks. Who knows what else he has planned.

"I'm concerned, Yusei. Too many people have already been hurt. And…if what Greiger said after your duel is true, then Goodwin certainly won't stop now. I don't want you or any of the other's to get hurt because of this."

Yusei placed a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. "That won't happen, Rin. I promise you, I won't let it come that."

"Yusei… Thank you…" Rin said softly.

"I know I asked Akiza earlier, but she was sort of vague in her answer. What's her deal with these marks?"

"I had feel you'd probably ask," Rin sighed. "I don't know all the details. It was painful for Aki to remember so I never really asked, but I know the basics of happened. Akiza was five years old and dueling her father. I don't know what happened exactly, but when Akiza activated a card, the mark appeared on her arm and her powers emerged for the first time and ran wild. Ever since then, her powers manifest through her cards whenever she duels. She can't control it and that's they cause real damage. Since the mark appeared at the same time as her powers, she always assumed that the mark was the cause of everything."

"So that's why hates these marks so much." Yusei mused. "Still, they can't be all bad. She sees that, doesn't she?

"The problem is that she's so stuck on all of the bad things that have happened that she can't see the good things. I may not know what these marks are or what they mean, but I know they aren't as bad as she thinks. I've noticed changes in Akiza since the tournament started. Small things really, like changes in her behavior and personality. They're subtle changes, so much so that I don't think anyone else has noticed. However, the changes are good and I believe they are happening because she's met and interacted with others who have marks.

"She needs someone to show her that the marks aren't all bad," Rin explained. "As much as I wish I could do that for her, I don't have a mark so she'd never believe me. But, I really think you can help her Yusei. I think you can save her from herself."

xxx- _line_ -xxx

The match was about to begin and Rin was leaning against the railing of the stands with Sayer. She had told Yusei earlier of her decision to cheer for Akiza despite her desire for Yusei's victory. Yusei had understood and agreed with her decision.

" _While everyone may hate me for being a Satellite, their so afraid of Akiza's power that they don't even care. They want her to lose and they don't care who beats her. She needs to know you're in her corner, even if no one else is,"_ Yusei had told her.

' _He's right. Aki needs me now more than ever and I'm going to be here for her,'_ Rin thought to herself as she heard the angry cries of the crowd.

"Yeah!" the announcer began. "It's finally time for the finals! The winner of this next match will get to go on to the ultimate showdown! A one-on-one, no holds barred duel with the Master of Faster himself, Jack Atlas! Our first finalist is the mysterious Black Rose, Akiza! Challenging her is the Shooting Star from the Satellite Sector, Yusei Fudo!"

' _Satellite's Shooting Star? Well, it's appropriate if nothing else,'_ Rin thought with a soft smile.

"Every card has led us to this moment! The final round of The Fortune Cup is about to begin!"

"Let's do this!"

Yusei: 4000

Akiza: 4000

Akiza went first. "The first move is mine! I draw! I summon Wall of Ivy in defense mode! Next, I place one card face down and end my turn!"

"My move then. And I counter by summoning Speed Warrior in Attack mode! On the turn Speed Warrior is summoned, its attack points are doubled! Speed Warrior, shred that Wall of Ivy!"

"You had better be careful, Yusei, because when my Ivy Wall is destroyed, one of my Ivy Tokens takes root on your side of the field!"

"We've seen the Black Rose use this strategy before! It really created problems Commander Koda and Sir Randsborg! What kind of havoc will she reek on Yusei?" the announcer asked.

"These could be a problem," Yusei mumbled. "It's your move."

"You're too kind. Now then! Remember that last round when I summoned Wall of Ivy just to you tear it down with your Speed Warrior?! Well, I'm playing the Cursed Ivy trap card to bring my Wall of Ivy back! In case you can't tell, I've got kind of a green thumb. Oh, and by the way, I really should thank you because Cursed Ivy gets powered up by my Ivy Wall, so now it's stronger than it was before."

' _I see… Akiza is trying to fill Yusei's field with Ivy Tokens. That way, when she brings out the big guns, she can lay into him for major damage,'_ Rin realized.

"You gonna stand around and think? Or are you gonna duel?" Akiza challenged Yusei.

"It's been a relatively mellow duel so far! Even the crowd seems to have simmered down a bit! But, could we simply be experiencing the calm before the storm?!" the announcer stated.

"My move, and I'm sending Speed Warrior to my graveyard in order to summon my Turret Warrior! And due to my Turret's special ability, it now gains the attack points of my Speed Warrior. Looks like your Wall of Ivy is about to be uprooted!"

"And it looks like another Ivy Token is about to shoot up on your side of the field!"

"Turret Warrior, Attack!"

"By destroying my Wall of Ivy, you've also taken out the Cursed Ivy trap card. And when my Cursed Ivy is sent to the graveyard, it summons two more Ivy Tokens to your side of the field. Ya got anything else for me?"

"No. I'm done for now."

' _Oh boy. She's backed Yusei into a corner. She's about to make a big play,'_ Rin thought.

"That's disappointing! I draw! And from my hand, I'm activating the Seed of Deception spell card! So with the power of this spell card, I summon out Dark Verger (level 2 ATK: 0 DEF: 1000) in attack mode! But now, I'm gonna do a little landscaping to make room for something stronger! I advance summon Rose Tentacles (level 5 ATK: 2200 DEF: 1200) in attack mode! The best thing about roses is that their thorns are as dangerous as their petals are beautiful and you're about to experience that first hand! Go, Rose Retaliation!" Akiza shouted as Turret Warrior was destroyed.

Yusei: 3900

Akiza: 4000

"Yusei only took 100 points of damage from that attack, but I've got a feeling that the Black Rose's strategy is about to blossom into something far more terrifying!" the announcer exclaimed.

"That attack was just the beginning, so get ready for my Rose Tentacles' special ability to squeeze you into submission! Now you take damage for the four Ivy Tokens on your field! This might hurt! This is the part of the battle that I enjoy the most because now I get to watch the power of my Rose Tentacles and Ivy Tokens bleed your life points dry!"

"Incredible! Akiza's managed to plant four Ivy Tokens on Yusei's field! Which means she can unleash a quadruple dose of destruction! And with each attack, Yusei gonna take 600 points of damage! Whoa! It looks like the fans are running for the exits! And who can blame them! Especially after witnessing the Black Rose's destructive powers in her last two duels! I wouldn't want to be in Yusei's boots right now!" the announcer stated.

' _You could say that again. Yusei doesn't have any down cards and no way to negate these attacks. This is definitely going to hurt!'_ Rin thought.

"Let's see if people keep picking on me after this! Get ready, Yusei! Here's one more! Attack! You're not giving in yet?! Well maybe this will change your mind! I'm gonna enjoy this! Now Attack!"

With each attack, Rose Tentacles wrapped a thorny vine around Yusei's arms and legs. After the vines had thoroughly ensnared him, they slowly lifted Yusei into the air.

"This can't end well," Rin mumbled under her breath.

"Look at you up there! Hopeless and alone! No one can help you and no one wants to! Now you know what it feels like to be me in this cruel, cold world!" Akiza shouted. Then, Rose Tentacles slammed Yusei into the ground.

Yusei: 1500

Akiza: 4000

"Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark," Rin commented.

"Whoa! Akiza's attack has left the stadium in panic! The place is in complete chaos! Just like we thought, Akiza is…" the announcer trailed off, never finishing the sentence. The crowd was more than happy to fill in the blank as they resumed their shouts of "Witch" and "Monster".

Despite taking the full force of the attack, Yusei got back on his feet. "Akiza… I want to help you. I want to be your friend. And I'm gonna use every card I have to prove it to you. And I'll start by playing Shield Warrior in defense mode. Next, I place two cards face down and end my turn. I think I understand it now. What makes you tick, Akiza. Because of all that people have put you through, you enjoy it."

"Enjoy what?"

"You enjoy people's misery! You like how it makes people feel! You like how it makes you feel!"

"You're right. And for the rest of this duel, I really plan on enjoying myself!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I'm finally back to updating this story! Hallelujah! I want to thank you all for your patience during my hiatus. If you're wondering why I'm only updating with one chapter instead of two like I used to, it's because typing and editing these chapters just took way too much time. It was hard enough to finish one chapter. Trying to complete two chapters while juggling the struggles of daily life and writing three other stories became an impossible task. As such, I'm backing it up to one chapter per update. Thanks again and love you all!


	12. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 **Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's_ or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

"Welcome back to the excitement, Ladies and Gentlemen! Akiza appears to have Yusei Fudo right where she wants him! Can he escape the reach of the Black Rose's Rose Tentacles or will his life points get squeezed into submission?! Let's watch and find out!" the announcer exclaimed.

Yusei: 1500

Akiza: 4000

"Well, Yusei, It's my turn! And I activate Ivy Shackles! And with this spell, I can now turn your Shield Warrior into a plant type monster. Before you know it, Yusei, your entire fields going to look like one giant green house. So with your Warrior now under the control of my Rose Tentacles, she can now attack you an extra time this round. You said I enjoyed other people's misery. Well then, I guess I should really enjoy this, shouldn't I?! Now, Rose Tentacles, Attack! Thrash his Warrior! Go, Rose Retaliation!" Shield Warrior was destroyed. "Oh, and by the way, my Rose Tentacles' power doesn't stop there! Since your Warrior is under her control, you now take 300 points of direct damage!"

Yusei: 1200

Akiza: 4000

"Akiza, listen! Don't do this!" Yusei pleaded.

"Huh? Don't do what? Attack you directly?! Well, I don't do charity!"

"Then I activate my trap! Card Defense! So by removing on of the cards in my hand, my traps effect cancels your direct attack! And then, it allows me to draw a new card to replace it!"

"It'll take more than that to stop me!"

"Akiza, you have to listen! You can't keep dueling with this anger!"

"Oh yeah?! Well, until you've battled in my duel disk, save it! I don't need your help!"

"We'll see!" Yusei said as he drew. "I summon Junk Synchron! And thanks to his special ability, I get to summon another monster from my graveyard, so say hello again to Speed Warrior! And now I'm tuning my Junk Synchron with my Speed Warrior to Synchro Summon Junk Warrior! Let's rev it up! Next, I'm going to activate the equip spell Junk Barrage, which gives my warrior a power boost! Alright, pal! Now attack Rose Tentacles!"

Yusei: 1200

Akiza: 3900

"And now the effect of my Junk Barrage activates! So as soon as my warrior destroyed your garden gone wild, you lose life points for each of Rose Tentacles attack points!"

Yusei: 1200

Akiza: 2800

"Looks like you're up."

"That was a big round for Yusei! Now, will Junk Warrior make trash out of the Black Rose?!" The announcer questioned.

' _Not a bad come back, Yusei. But Aki is still leading in life points and she still won't listen to reason. I hope you have something else up your sleeve, Yus,'_ Rin thought to herself.

"You want combos?! Watch! First of all, since my Ivy Shackles is still in effect, your Warrior becomes a plant-type monster! Next up I'm summoning my Copy Plant in defense Mode! And I bet you can guess what its special ability is just from its name! Put in case you weren't paying attention, it can copy the level of any other plant monster on the field. And since your Warrior is under the control of my Rose Tentacles, my Copy Plant now becomes a level 5 monster!"

"Oh boy. Aki's bring out the big guns," Rin mumbled.

"And now that I have the tuner monster Copy Plant on my field, I can trigger the special ability of the Dark Verger that's in my graveyard to summon up your destruction, Yusei! Get ready because now I can use my monsters for a Synchro Summon! I tune my Copy Plant with my Dark Verger to create my ultimate monster! I summon Black Rose Dragon!

"Get ready to feel the fury of my Black Rose Dragon, Yusei! Because as soon as it's summoned to the field, I can activate its special ability! So by taking a plant-type monster from the graveyard and then removing it from play, I can choose one of your monsters and send its attack points to zero! I'll sacrifice Wall of Ivy! It's a small price to pay to take out all your Junk Warrior's attack points!"

"No! Not Junk Warrior!"

"That tin can's worthless now! There's nothing that he can do! Black Rose Dragon, attack!"

"He might not be able to help me, but guess who can?! By removing my Shield Warrior from play, I can save Junk Warrior from being destroyed!"

"But you're still going to feel the wrath of my Dragon!"

"Not if I activate this, my Spirit Force! So now, all the damage from your Dragon's attack is negated!" Yusei gasped as the backlash from the attack damages the stands. "Oh man! Her power is getting out of control! I'd better finish this duel before someone gets hurt! With the power of my Spirit Force, I'm bringing back my Junk Synchron from my graveyard!"

"Well, let's see what that hunk of junk can do against these two face downs!"

The damage caused to the stands caused another anger and fear-fueled outburst from the crowd. Rin frowned at this.

"Just keep it up. Just keep putting me down. I know it makes you feel good. But now let me show you what makes me feel good. It's time to show you what misery really is! My whole life I've tried to ignore all the teasing and name calling, but can't ignore the pain it causes forever, Yusei. I'll make them stop!" This had both Rin and Yusei concerned.

' _This is starting to get out of hand! Whatever you're gonna do, Yusei, you had better do it fast!'_ Rin thought.

"It's my move! I summon Junk Synchron in attack mode! And thanks to his special ability, Speed Warrior is summoned automatically! Now I tune Junk Synchron with my Junk Warrior!

' _Wait…the only level 8 Synchro monster that Yusei has is…'_ Rin's thoughts trailed off as her eyes widened in realization.

"Meet my friend, Stardust Dragon!"

"In all my years of broadcasting, I have never seen a monster like this! If you're watching from home, do not adjust your screen! It's as unbelievable as it appears!" the announcer stated in shock.

"Two dragons…" Sayer said as he watched the field with interest.

"Stardust…" Rin mumbled under her breath. She suddenly turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Sayer asked her.

"I'm going to get a closer look at this," Rin told him before she ran off.

When Rin arrived at the passage to the field, the two dragons were about to clash.

"Stardust Dragon, attack with Cosmic Flare!" Yusei ordered. "Don't wear that mask!" Black Rose Dragon was destroyed.

Yusei: 1200

Akiza: 2700

"Please Aki. Don't put on the mask," Rin said to herself.

However, their pleas fell on deaf ears. "Sorry, but I've already made my decision. I…need the mask. Without it, it's too easy to be hurt."

The crowd continued to mock and jeer at Akiza, bringing a dark scowl to Rin's face.

"Listen-," Yusei began but Akiza cut him off.

"No! You listen! It's my move! And I activate Magic Planter! So by removing my Ivy Shackles from play, I get to plant two more face downs! And next I'll play one of them, Dark Tuning! For the low price of 800 life points, I can summon any Synchro monster from my graveyard! And I'm bringing back Black Rose Dragon!"

Yusei: 1200

Akiza: 1900

"But I'm not done yet! Because now I can equip Wicked Reborn on my Dragon! She might not be able to attack this turn, but as long as she's equipped with this card, Black Rose Dragon can be re-summoned at the end of each and every round! So for those of you in the back of the class, that means if it's ever destroyed in battle or by some special spell, it comes back as good as new at the end of my turn! Oh, and last but not least, when Black Rose Dragon is special summoned, all the cards on your field are destroyed! So say goodbye to your pathetic pet!"

"I activate Stardust's special ability! It might be a big price to pay, but sacrificing my dragon destroys yours and all of its powers! It's a dragon for a dragon!"

"You may have rid the field of my dragon, but let's see how you handle Phoenixian Seed! And since were sacrificing cards to activate special abilities, I'll sell my seed to reap Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis! And before you start in again with "Don't duel in anger", let's see if you change your tune after I destroy another of your monsters! Amaryllis, attack! But it doesn't end there! Because once Amaryllis attacks, it self-destructs dealing another 800 points of damage! This should hurt a little!"

Yusei: 400

Akiza: 1900

"Told ya! I'll end with a face down!"

"This rounds not even close to being over, Akiza! Remember, I used Stardust Dragon's special ability and that means he comes back!"

"Well then, I guess our two beasts will have to battle it out again! This is the beginning of your end! I re-summon Black Rose Dragon! And with it on the field, I now activate my trap, Overdoom Line! So now the monster I just summoned from my graveyard gains 1000 attack points! And to keep my dragon company, I'm activating Amaryllis' special ability which allows me to summon it from my graveyard! It's your move, Yusei!"

"I draw, then! I take my Stardust Dragon and switch it to defense mode!"

"Defense mode? Why would he… Wait a minute! Yusei has a plan…" Rin said to herself. _'I hope you know what you're doing, Yusei!'_

"Then I'll activate the spell Prevention Star! And since my Stardust Dragon is in defense mode, I can equip the power of Prevention Star to it! And now I get to prevent one of your monsters from attacking or changing its battle position! And I think I'll freeze up your Phoenixian Cluster Amaryllis!"

"I play the trap card Synchro Back! Now by removing one Synchro monster from my field, I can re-summon it next turn! And who better than my Black Rose Dragon, Yusei!"

"I'll end by throwing down a face down!"

"It won't help you! Because thanks to my Synchro Back's effect, Black Rose Dragon comes back to my field!" Just then, both Yusei's and Akiza's marks began glowing bright enough that Rin could see them!

"It's your sign!" Yusei told her.

"I wish it was gone!"

"But it's a part of you! It's part of all of us! Having this mark doesn't make you a witch, Akiza! It makes you special! I know that other people don't see that and I know it hurts, but when you get angry at them you're only hating yourself! The pain you feel from that mark is shared by me as well! It's trying to bring us together, to strengthen us! I don't understand it yet, but this pain is somehow uniting us! We have to figure out what it wants, Akiza! But first you must realize that you're not alone! That we're connected, we're all connected! We're all going to have to make a choice! We're going to have to ban together in order for this to all make sense! Embrace your dragon! It's beautiful! Just like you are under that mask!"

' _Beautiful…? Maybe Aki isn't the only one with a crush around here…'_ Rin thought to herself.

"I'm not beautiful! People don't like me and it's this mark that's caused all this suffering I've had to live through!"

"Your right. But if you stay mad, you'll always suffer!"

"So just accept it? Embrace it? Forget the past?! Hate's all I know!" At that moment the energy stabilizer fell from her hair. "This discussion is over! I activate Black Rose Dragon's special ability! All your cards are destroyed along with this stadium!"

"Akiza! No! If she uses her dragon's ability now, she could kill everyone in this stadium!" Rin practically shouted.

"Don't worry, Rin. She has this under control," Sayer told her as he walked up behind her.

"But Sayer-," Rin was interrupted by the next words Yusei spoke.

"I won't let you do this! I use my dragon's special ability! I'll sacrifice him to stop this destruction! Stop fighting, Akiza! It's over! The dragon inside you wasn't meant to destroy!"

Rin's eyes widened as she noticed something. _'Stardust Dragon is hugging Black Rose Dragon. He's trying to save her. Just like Yusei is trying to help Akiza.'_ (Awwwwww! Dragon Love!)

In a show of golden light, both dragon's vanished. "She's gone… Black Rose Dragon's gone! But that doesn't mean were finished here, Yusei! Prevention Star's gone too, which means Amaryllis can now attack! But you still have that face down, Yusei, don't you?! The question is…will it be enough?! You've wasted your time trying to save me! Now it's time to see if you can save yourself! Let's see if you can stop me!"

"I never wanted to stop you. I wanted to save you! And I intend to with Cosmic Blast! Now because Stardust Dragon left the field, you lose life points for all of its attack points! You would've seen it coming if you weren't hiding behind that mask!"

Yusei: 400 – Winner

Akiza: 0000

Yusei's final card had shattered Akiza's mask, both metaphorically and physically, and she fell to her knees. Yusei gasped when he saw her. "That's right. The Black Rose is crying."

"Akiza-," "Is not your concern," Sayer interceded.

"I think you've caused enough damage for one day, Mr. Fudo," he added as both he and Rin had made their way to Akiza's side. He draped his coat over Akiza's shoulders. "Akiza's coming home with us."

"It's okay. You tried. Next time you'll do better," Rin told her comfortingly as she helped Akiza stand.

"The winner of the duel is Yusei Fudo!" the announcer declared as Sayer and Rin led Akiza away from the Yusei and the dueling field.

As they walked away, both Rin and Akiza thought the same thing. _'Thank you, Yusei.'_


	13. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 **Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's_ or anything pertaining to it. I only own Rin.

* * *

Rin was walking back to the Arcadia trailer with Akiza and Sayer. Although she had wanted to stay and watch the final duel, helping her "sister" was her first priority. Or at least that's what she thought until Akiza spoke up.

"Hey, Rin. I really appreciate all your help, but you don't have to take care of me. I'm just going to be resting anyway." Akiza gave her a knowing look. "I know you want to stay and watch the last duel. Besides, you have _do_ have the rest of the day off, after all."

"But Aki, I –" Rin was cut off by Sayer, however.

"Akiza's right, Rin. Since she is out of the tournament now, you're officially on vacation time. Honestly, you're a bigger workaholic than me. Akiza will be just fine, so feel free to watch the rest of the tournament and don't worry. I'd rather not have to order you to take time off, but I will if I have to."

Outnumbered, Rin sighed in defeat. "Fine. But promise me you'll take it easy and rest."

"I promise," Akiza told her. "Now go on. I'll see you later."

"See ya," Rin said before turning around and heading toward the garages to talk with Yusei before his duel with Jack. However, she almost unexpectedly ran right into him. "Yusei?! Where's the fire?" she asked, seeing that he was in a hurry.

"Rin?!" Yusei asked, surprised. "I thought you'd be with Akiza."

"I was. Until she insisted I stay to watch your duel with Jack and Sayer practically ordered me to take the rest of the day off," she explained. "Speaking of which, where ae you going in such a hurry?"

"Goodwin definitely knows more than he lets on. It's time get some answers about what's really going on here."

"Well, then, I'm coming with you," Rin told him.

"Alright, come on." With that, Yusei started running toward Jack's "Champion Suite". This time, with Rin close on his heels.

As they approached the door, the two guards tried to stop them. Yusei quickly knocked them out, though. As they walked through the door, they were greeted by a set of stairs. They could hear voices coming from the room at the top. One of the voices was Goodwin. The other sounded very familiar, however Rin couldn't place why.

"Director. Look, Sir, there's something I've gotta say. It's my official position that you need to stop this tournament," the familiar voice said.

"I thought your official position was mall security," Goodwin retorted.

"Very funny, but I feel this tournament is cursed or something. You witnessed the damage of the last duel. I'm concerned things are going to get worse!" the voice exclaimed worriedly.

' _I'm inclined to agree with him,'_ Rin thought to herself.

"Officer, I don't pay you to be concerned."

"But, Sir…"

"I pay you to do what I say. And as for what you think, if I was going to pay someone to do some thinking, it most certainly would not be you. Langley! Please escort Officer Trudge out!"

' _Trudge! No wonder he sounded familiar,'_ Rin thought as Yusei responded.

"Is Langley one of the guys guarding the door?" he asked.

"Yusei!" Trudge exclaimed.

"Rin!" Mina cried out at the same time.

"Because he's, uh… he's napping," Rin finished.

"What are you doing up here punk!?" Trudge practically shouted at Yusei.

' _Oh, yeah. I forgot Trudge and Yusei don't get along,'_ Rin realized. Thankfully, though, Goodwin interfered as security in suits tried to apprehend them.

"How can I help you, Yusei? Rin?" he asked.

"Before I say, weren't you gonna throw him out?" Yusei asked, angering Trudge.

Goodwin nodded to his suits who promptly removed the officer by force. The entire time, Trudge was threatening to find out what was really going on. _'With any luck, we might just find that out ourselves,'_ Rin mussed.

"Time to talk," Yusei began. "You forced me into this tournament. You threaten me and locked up our friends. We want to know the truth. I'm not dueling Jack until you tell us why you've done this."

"Ha!" Jack scoffed before Goodwin could answer. "Are you dense, Yusei? It's because of this! This mark," Jack told them, removing his glove and showing them the mark Rin had seen so many times before.

"Ah! So I wasn't seeing things before!" Yusei exclaimed.

"He wants the Crimson Dragon's power," Jack explained. "So he's been trying to gather everyone with its mark. He got me here by lying to me and buttering me up and manipulating me." As Jack said this, his eyes never left his sister's face. Although his eyes never showed any emotion.

Rin's face, however, showed many conflicting emotions at meeting her brother face to face again. _'On one hand, I'm happy to see him again. On the other, his attitude pisses me off and he still hasn't apologized for what he's done. Oh well, I can sort my feelings out later.'_

Goodwin didn't agree with the accusations. "Oh, come on, you're making me sound so devious. Jack, you wanted to be the Turbo Duel Champion."

"Yeah, but I wanted to earn that title," Jack replied with a glare. "At this point, I'm starting to think that you've been rigging everything. I think your little plan involves setting me up as bait for Yusei."

"Bait?" Rin questioned. _'If Jack is right, and under the circumstances, I wouldn't be surprised if he is, then that means Yusei was the target all along and Jack was just a means to an end.'_

"Goodwin knew that Yusei would come after me if I did everything exactly as he asked me to," Jack explained to her. "Granted he hadn't expected me to bring you along, but it gave Yusei more motivation and made me easier to control. Isn't that right, Director?"

"Don't be ridiculous! I didn't even know about Yusei until you dueled him that night in the arena."

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that this is all some big coincidence?!" Jack asked angrily.

"How naive do you think we are?!" Rin added. She didn't like the fact that she and her brother had been used in such a way, even if she hadn't forgiven him yet.

"You needed to verify that Yusei had a mark, so you needed him and I to duel with passion. So you created a situation in which the stakes would be as high as possible."

Jack began telling them about what he meant starting with what had happened the day he had saved Rally from some thugs. A day Rin remembered well. Rally had come by their hideout later to thank him and invited them both to watch Yusei test drive his first Runner. However, what Jack said next was new information to her.

Jack told them about how Lazard had appeared, promising Jack answers about his mark and a better life for himself and Rin if he did what Goodwin wanted. He wanted Jack to steal Stardust Dragon and use the garbage pipeline to reach New Domino City, implying that he should also steal Yusei's Runner to get there. This infuriated Rin. _'I knew there was a reason I always hated Lazard! That evil, purple-haired, midget clown freak! When I get my hands on him…'_

Rin's thoughts continued as such, hardly paying any attention while Jack finished his story. He had already admitted to her what happened next during their argument three years earlier.

"Goodwin could never have made you the same offer because you would have never left your friends behind. Not for fame and fortune, anyway. I, on the other hand, walked right into it, and by tricking me into taking your card, he gave you a reason to come after me. And I brought Rin along for the ride," Jack finished.

Rin was the only one who heard that last part, though. _'Jack… he doesn't regret accepting Goodwin's offer, but… it almost sounds like he regrets getting_ me _involved in all this.'_

"And I think that brings us all up to speed, more or less," Jack says before turning to Goodwin. "I have a demand to make. You got what you wanted, he's here, right? Let their friends go! He doesn't need to be coerced. I want this duel to be legit. No threats, no gimmicks, just us."

"If that is what my Champion wants, then so be it," Goodwin says. With that out of the way, Yusei, Rin and Jack all leave the room.

"Rin, would you mind going to check on Luna and the others? I told them to leave, but…" Yusei trailed off.

"Knowing Goodwin, he has guards stationed to stop them from leaving," Jack finished for him.

"I got it. I'll go sit with them. I'll keep them safe," Rin promised.

"Thanks," Yusei told her before leaving to prepare for the duel.

"Rin," Jack started once Yusei was out of earshot, "I know they're your friends also, but you should be careful. I don't know what'll happen in this duel."

"Thanks for the warning. I 'll keep it in mind," she told him.

She turned to head for the stands, but Jack grabbed her hand to stop her. "Rin. I don't know what it's worth now, if anything but… I'm sorry. For everything I put you through." He told her before leaving to prepare as well.

Rin stared at his back as he left. She didn't notice that she had tears running down her checks. _'Oh, Jack… You were so desperate to try and make me happy again, to give me a better life. You convinced yourself that being Champion was the only way. When Goodwin made you that offer, it was just too easy for him to convince you. Neither of us could see what he was really doing. I'm so sorry, too. For everything I said and did.'_ "I just wish I could tell you that."

-X-

Rin had found Tanner, Yanagi and the kids in their seats and the exits guarded just like Jack had said. Upon joining them, they had told her that Luna was indeed a "Signer" and when they tried to leave like Yusei told them, Lazard had threatened Yusei's friends in Satellite. While this had enraged Rin, she didn't let it show. She told them that Jack had convinced Goodwin to release their friends and they no longer needed to worry about it.

"Shouldn't we leave then?" Yanagi asked.

"Believe me, Gramps, if it were that simple we'd be on our way out now. Our friends in Satellite may be safe now, but all the exits are still guarded. An ant couldn't get past unnoticed. Besides, leaving is no longer an option," Rin told them all directing their attention to the track below.

Yusei had just gotten into position. "There he is!" Luna said, concern evident in her voice.

"I wonder if Goodwin told him what he wanted to know." Tanner thought aloud.

' _Not nearly as much as I'd hoped,'_ Rin thought sarcastically.

"This is it! I'm finally going to show you that you don't have what it takes to be the best, Yusei! You never have!" Jack told Yusei as they both waited for the duel to start.

"Are you sure we should be doing this right now, Jack?" Yusei asked. "There's still a lot we don't know about the Crimson Dragon."

"Hah! This is exactly what I was talking about, Yusei! You have no guts! You never want to take any risks! Don't you want to reveal the fifth Signer?!"

' _Fifth Signer? I guess there's one more person with a mark here today. But who? And where are they?'_ Rin question as she glanced around the stadium.

"Alright! It's time to activate the Speed World field spell!" the announcer declared. "This is the moment! Will Jack Atlas continue to reign as the King of Turbo Duels or will he be dethroned by Satellite's Shooting Star?! It's time to find out!"

The crowd responded in deafening cheers as the duel began.

Jack: 4000

Yusei: 4000

"Admit it, Yusei. The roar of the crowd is more appealing than the scamper of the rats!" Jack taunted.

' _Maybe I shouldn't forgive him just yet,_ ' Rin thought as she sweat dropped.

"Let's just duel," Yusei said as he made the first move. "I'm summoning out my Shield Wing in defense mode! Next, I place two cards face down and end my turn!"

"In that case, I summon Twin Sword Marauder in attack mode! You may have just scrapped your way to the title match, but those other duelists were just amateurs compared to me! Now allow my Twin Sword Marauder to give you a proper welcome to the big leagues, Yusei!

Jack: 4000

Yusei: 3300

You haven't grown a bit as a duelist since the days of riding around in the sewers! I can still anticipate your game and stay two steps ahead of you!" Jack declared confidently.

"Then you should know that Shield Wing can't be destroyed in one attack! It has to be defeated twice!"

"I do know that! And when Twin Sword Marauder attacks a monster in defense mode, it can attack again! I said that I was two steps ahead of you, Yusei, not just one! Go, Double Marauder Mayhem!"

' _Jack isn't pulling any punches. The duel just started and he's already going all out. Yusei better step up his game,'_ Rin thought _._

Jack: 4000

Yusei: 2600

"And to end my first turn, I place one card face down. You can't defeat me Yusei!"

"We'll see, Jack! From my hand I summon Junk Synchron! And now I'm gonna tune my Junk Synchron with my Shield Wing in order to Synchro Summon Junk Warrior! Let's rev it up! Now take out that Marauder!

Jack: 3300

Yusei: 2600

"Next, I activate my trap card! Synchro Blast! Now when my Warrior attacks, Synchro Blast can slam you with 500 points of damage!"

Jack: 2800

Yusei: 2600

"Now you're dueling, Yusei, but you won't be for long! Because from my hand, I summon Dark Tinker! Then I activate the Powerful Rebirth trap card! And with this card, I can re-summon Twin Sword Marauder from my graveyard!"

"All right! Dark Tinker is only level three! And that Sword Marauder is level 4, so he hasn't got the power that he needs to summon Red Dragon Archfiend!" Tanner said. "This is your chance, Yusei!" he shouted.

"Don't be so sure, Tanner. Powerful Rebirth has another effect. Watch," Rin says solemnly.

"Now the monster resurrected by Powerful Rebirth gains 100 attack and defense points and its level increases by one!"

"What?!" Yusei and Tanner both exclaimed.

"Here it comes," Rin said, more to herself than the others.

"Yusei, I'm the best turbo duelist New Domino City has ever seen, and that move I just made was one more example of why I'm the Champ! And now I'm going to show you why I'm going to remain the Champ… I Synchro Summon Red Dragon Archfiend!"

"Man, he's not wasting any time," Yusei said as everyone around Rin gasped.

' _Thought so… The real duel is just about to start,'_ Rin mussed.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Maybe it's just the dubbed version that I'm watching, but every time Jack spoke in this episode, I thought of the Evil Spirit of the Millennium Ring from _Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters_. LOL :) On to more important matters, though. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I would love to know what you thought of this one, so please leave a review. The next chapter will be the second half of the Yusei vs Jack duel and a major hint towards Rin's involvement with the Dark Signer arc, so stay tuned for that. Until then, Thanks and Love you all!


	14. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 **Author's Note:** I'm really sorry this is late. I didn't mean for it to take so long, but work kept me busy all week. I am hoping that this situation won't happen again, but I have taken measures in case it does. I have created a Twitter account where I will post notices of delays as well as expected update days. Again, I'm sorry and I thank you for your patience. Now, on with the chapter.

 **Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's_ or anything related to it. I only own Rin.

* * *

"Welcome back to the Fortune Cup Finale, where the Master of Faster, Jack Atlas, already has a commanding lead. Can the Satellite Shooting Star, Yusei Fudo, catch up, or will this be his final lap? Let's watch and see!" The announcer declared.

Suddenly, Luna gasped and looked up at the sky. "What's that?!" she asked.

Everyone looked up and gasped as well. "I don't think the forecast called for scary purple clouds!" Leo exclaimed.

"It's a sign! The Crimson Dragon is coming!" Yanagi said, fear seeping into his voice. "And if he's coming, then we should all get going!"

"Take it easy, Gramps!" Tanner told him. "I mean, it's probably just some acid rain drifting in from the Satellite."

' _I highly doubt it Tanner. After everything else that's happened these last two days, I think Gramps is right. And in that case, I fear for us all. Yusei and Jack had better finish this duel and fast!'_ Rin thought as she bit her lower lip nervously.

"It's my turn, Jack! First, I'll activate my trap: Descending Lost Star! So now, by powering down my Junk Warrior, I can then bring it back out to my field. Then I summon Hyper Synchron! (Lv. 4 ATK: 1600 DEF: 800) And now I tune Junk Warrior with my Hyper Synchron in order to Synchro Summon Stardust Dragon!"

"Oh my! This is amazing!" Yanagi said in awe, appearing to have already forgotten about his previous concerns.

"Yusei!" Leo and Dexter cheered.

"Here comes his ace," Rin whispered mostly to herself.

"Let's Rev It Up!"

"Welcome to the party, Stardust," Jack said smugly.

Luna groaned as her mark started glowing, grabbing everyone's attention. Rin wrapped a protective arm around Luna, concerned about what would happen next.

"My arms glowing!" Yusei exclaimed.

"This is the moment we've been waiting for, so get ready, because these two beasts are about to battle it out!" the announcer said. "Welcome back! And it's Dragon versus Dragon!"

"And now Hyper Synchron's special ability activates! You see, Jack, when it's part of a synchro summon, the new monster gets an extra 800 attack points! So now my Stardust Dragon's got 3300!"

"Well, then, I guess I'll play my trap card: Tuner Capture! This enables me to take control of the monster you used to make your synchro summon happen! What goes around comes around, Yusei!"

"Whoa! While Yusei's Hyper Synchron goes Benedict Arnold, Jack out-monsters him two to one!" the announcer stated.

"Well, then, Stardust Dragon! Why don't you even up the playing field!"

"Come on! That pathetic dragon's no match for me and my deck! I trigger the trap card Tuner's Mind! And this is just one example of why I'm The Master of Faster and you're a worthless wannabe! Now I can de-tune my dragon to double my defense!"

' _With Twin-Sword Marauder out, Jack can just re-summon his dragon next turn. Yusei only has one course of action,'_ Rin thought.

"Stardust Dragon, attack Twin-Sword Marauder with Cosmic Flare!" However, Jack's Dark Tinker moved in front of Marauder, taking the blow and getting destroyed instead. "No way!"

"Surprise, surprise! You see, my trap forces you to attack my Dark Tinker! When are you gonna learn that you'll never be a match for me, Yusei? I'll beat you in front of the whole world just like I beat you way back in the Satellite!"

' _Jack does know everyone in this stadium can hear him, right? That remark of his just gave away that he's from the Satellite!'_ Rin thought. Thankfully, everyone else in the stadium were too focused on the actual duel to care what side comments were said.

"Well, that was then and this is now! Go, Synchro Blast!

Yusei: 1900

Jack: 2300

"Thanks to that trap card, when any Synchro monster like my dragon attacks, you automatically lose 500 life points!"

"The difference between us is that I can afford it! Now I can draw another card."

"It won't help you, Jack."

"Oh, really, Yusei? I tune Hyper Synchron with Twin-Sword Marauder! In order to synchro summon Red Dragon Archfiend one more time! Let's kick this turbo duel into overdrive! And just like Hyper Synchron added 800 attack points to your dragon, now that it's helping me with my synchro summon, I get to reap the benefits of its power as well! And remember, after I win this, your Stardust Dragon is mine! Ready?"

' _Everyone heard that, too, Jack,'_ Rin retorted in her head.

"Bring it!"

"Consider it brought!"

Yusei: 1400

Jack: 2300

"It looks like you forgot that since Hyper Synchron was used, neither dragon can be destroyed now."

"Good thing I got this, then: my trap Fiend Cannon! Now you lose 500 life points because I couldn't destroy your monster!"

Yusei: 900

Jack: 2300

"Yusie, no!" Leo exclaimed.

"This isn't good! Yusei better think of something, and fast," Tanner added.

"I couldn't agree with you more, Tanner, especially with those clouds circling around like that," Yanagi said, bring their attention skyward.

The dark, ominous clouds were circling in what liked like an upward vortex. Suddenly, crimson lightning cracked across the sky before striking the center of the arena.

"Here it comes!"

"The Crimson Dragon!"

"Sweet," Tanner said.

Yanagi gasped. "Th-th-th-th-th-this is bad!"

"Oh no! Yusei! Jack!" Rin cried out.

"I… I see it but I do not believe it!" the announcer stated in shock.

"The Crimson Dragon. It's huge!" Yanagi cried in horror.

Rin attention had been drawn elsewhere, however. "My arm. It's glowing again!" Luna told her.

"Crimson Dragon, welcome to my Arena!" Jack said arrogantly. "Now watch and witness how your future master rules this duel!"

"Jack! Be careful! The Crimson Dragon might rip this place apart and everyone in it!" Yusei tried to warn him.

"Don't tell me you're scared! I am a Signer, Yusei Fudo, and this is my destiny! Goodwin told me that the power of the Crimson Dragon will help me save this world!"

"Even if it gets Rin and everyone else here killed in the process!?" Yusei demanded.

Just then, Luna's mark began to glow brighter, causing her pain. The Crimson Dragon roared and whipped up a massive wind. Rin, who still had an arm around Luna, tightened her hold protectively.

"What's going on?!" Jack shouted.

"Ahhh!" Yusei grunted as the wind knocked around his runner.

Luna groaned in pain as she and Rin were engulfed in a bright, white light. Rin had closed her eyes from the intensity of the light. When she opened them, however, she was no longer in the Kaiba Dome. She and Luna were hovering inside a transparent red sphere, floating through a star-filled sky. Beside them was Akiza in a different sphere. Below them, Yusei and Jack were riding there runners along what seemed like an endless, glowing white road. Their dragons flew beside them.

"Where are we?" she heard Yusei ask.

"Beats me!" Jack answered.

"Oh! Where's the Stadium?! Oh! What's going on?!" Luna asked.

"I don't know!" Akiza told them. "Yusei!" Akiza cried out, when she noticed him below her.

"I'm not sure he can hear you, Aki. I don't think either of them can hear us," Rin told her.

At that moment, one of the stars overhead glowed crimson and a huge pyramid-like temple appeared before them.

"Look there!" Jack exclaimed.

"Rin, Akiza, I'm scared!" Luna told them as she grasped Rin's jacket tightly.

As they got closer, they could see a large crowd of people bowing before the structure, as if in prayer. Near the top, five figures stood with their arms stretched upwards towards the heavens. It was something else about them that really caught the attention of the five.

"Yusei! They look exactly like the People of the Stars!" Jack explained.

"What are they doing here?" Yusei asked. Then both he and Rin realized something. "Hey, Jack!"

"No Way!" Rin cried out.

"They're all Signers!" The both exclaimed at once.

"Like us!" Jack agreed. "Goodwin told me about these people. He said somehow we're all linked to the Crimson Dragon."

Once they passed the temple, they approached what looked like two cities. Rin's eyes widened in recognition. "That's New Domino City and the Satellite Sector!"

"Down there looks a lot like the Satellite, Jack!" Yusei said, confirming Rin's realization.

Suddenly, a wall of purple flame erupted from beneath the Satellite, destroying everything in its path. Luna gasped. "What's happening?!" she asked.

The walls of fire continued to expand until they eventually merged. "Luna, Rin, look there!" Akiza exclaimed. "Is that a giant spider surrounding New Domino City?"

"If that's New Domino, then the City must go through some pretty rough times," Rin told them both. "It looks like the spider is surrounding the Satellite."

"I can't believe this is happening!" Yusei exclaimed. "We have to stop it!"

"It can't be real!" Jack said in disbelief. "Perhaps it's the future."

"Well if that's the future, then we better stop this duel right now! We gotta get home!"

"We will. Once we finish this."

"What?" Yusei asked.

"Jack cannot be serious!" Rin exclaimed.

"Yusei, this is a duel. The Crimson Dragon won't let either of us go back until one of us wins!"

"Come on!" Yusei questioned.

"Don't you get it? Dueling brought us here, and dueling's gonna bring us back home. And whoever wins will show the Crimson Dragon they deserve the power to save the world! And I'm gonna be that person! I throw down two face downs!"

Yusei growled. "You're nuts!" he exclaimed as he drew a card.

"While I think Jack is letting power go to his head, he may be right about finishing the duel. I don't think we'll be able to get back until one of them wins," Rin commented.

"But if you want to keep dueling, then you'll get more than you bargained for, Jack! I just activated Silver Contrails! It gives 1000 more attack points to any wind monster on my field, and guess what my mighty beast is! Stardust Dragon, attack Red Dragon Archfiend, and take us home!"

Yusei: 900

Jack: 1800

Jack screamed out in pain as the attack hit. Causing the spectators to gasp in shock.

"Jack!" Rin cried out to her brother.

"Next I activate my trap card, Synchro Blast!"

Jack screamed again as he was hit with the cards effect.

Yusei: 900

Jack: 1300

"And you thought I had short memory. Since Hyper Synchron help summon both our dragons out, neither one can be destroyed in battle!"

"I'll throw down three face down's and end my turn."

"Here we go! I can't slay your dragon, but I can still take out your life points. Go, Red Dragon Archfiend, attack!"

This time, it was Yusei who cried out in pain as the damage from Jack's attack hit him.

Yusei: 400

Jack: 1300

"Yusei!" Luna cried out.

"He's really hurt!" Akiza exclaimed. "It's just like when I duel people!"

"What was that?! I could feel his attack!"

"That's right, Yusei. This duel is winner take all!"

"Jack! The damage we take in this duel is real!"

"That's right, pal, and now you'll see what it's like to duel with more than just your life points on the line."

"I don't know if that's true, but if it is, then I plan on defending myself and taking you down! I activate my trap Crossline Counter! Now if I take battle damage during your turn, I double it and add it as attack points. Plus, now my dragon gets to attack you!"

"Heh. Well? Whaddya waitin' for?!"

"Stardust Dragon, let's not keep him waiting any longer!"

Jack once again cried out as his life points dropped further.

Yusei: 400

Jack: 800

"Jack?!" Yusei asked, concerned.

"Don't worry about me! In fact, you should be a lot more concerned with yourself! I activate the speed spell Overboost! So now I get 4 extra speed counters this round, nearly maxing me out!"

"With that kind of power, there's no telling what he'll play next."

"That's right! So get ready for me to call on one of my favorites! Now, from my hand, I activate the speed spell, End of the Storm. And with the power of this card, Yusei, I can now put you in your place…and since first place is going to be all mine, I guess that you'll have to settle for second!"

"I'm not settling for anything, Jack! And that's because Stardust Dragon's ability can counter your End of Storm!"

"Perhaps, but at what cost? Just look! That counter only works if you sacrifice stardust, and with him gone, you're wide open! Making this the perfect time for my favorite trap: The Sneak Exploder! So during your next standby phase, you lose 500 life points for every monster on my field. And since I've got one, that means your life points don't stand a chance!"

"Oh, no! That trap will finish Yusei off, and next round he'll lose!" Luna exclaimed.

"Then I better keep this round going! So I activate Stardust Dragon's special ability and bring him back to the field. And then I'll activate Meteor Stream! Stardust Dragon, end this now!"

"Just what I was waiting for!"

"Huh?"

"There's a reason I'm the champ! Jack Atlas is destined for great things, while you're just destined for defeat! This adventure's over. I play Crimson Fire! Not only does it block you thousand-point trap, but it boomerangs it right back to you, at double the damage! Goodbye, Yusei!"

"Watch out!" the three girls screamed.

"Sorry Jack, but I play my trap: Shining Silver Force! Which douses your come back and destroys all the spells and traps on your field!"

"You're still as annoying as ever!"

"I never was one to give up, and with your speed counters about to run out of gas, I don't plan on starting anytime soon! How's the new view?" Yusei asked as Jack fell behind. "See ya, Jack! Time to get us home! I play my trap Final Attack! ( **A/N:** _It's actually a speed spell. I blame crappy translations._ ) And since I have 8 speed counters, the attack points of my Stardust Dragon are doubled!"

"5000?! It's too powerful!"

"I don't want to hurt you, Jack, but if ending the duel is the only way home, then I gotta attack! Stardust Dragon, take out his life points!"

Rin covered her ears and closed her eyes as Jack screamed in pain, his remaining life points dropping to zero.

Yusei: 400 – Winner

Jack: 0000

Like before, they were engulfed in light. However, Rin did not immediately return to the Arena. She found herself floating in an endless sea of white, accompanied by none other than Magician's Valkyria.

"Valkyria? What's going on? Where are we?" she asked.

"We are in the space between worlds. And I must you, milady. The vision of the spider that you witnessed was sign, an omen of what is to come. Very soon, you shall face a darkness the likes of which you've never known before. If the darkness prevails, the whole of both worlds, yours and mine, will be destroyed," the mage explained.

"I will not lie to you. This is a great evil, and facing it will put you and your friends in grave danger. However, I believe that united, you can defeat this evil and save us all."

"I understand, but what does this evil look like? When will it come?" Rin inquired.

"The darkness takes many forms, but you will know it when you see it," Valkyria told her as she began to fade. "As for when, never let you guard down. I do not know the exact time Perhaps in a week, perhaps tomorrow, but you must always be wary. I wish you good luck."

In another blinding light, Rin found herself back in the stadium. It was as if no time had passed while she was in the other world. Just then, Jack was thrown from his runner as it crashed. Yusei skidded to a stop some distance away.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we seem to be experiencing some technical difficulties at this moment. Your patience is appreciated as we try to sort this matter out," the announcer said sheepishly.

"What just happened?!" Tanner shouted.

"First, they were dueling, then they disappeared, now their back and their dragons are gone!" Yanagi exclaimed in a panic.

"Ohh! Look there!" Leo shouted while pointing at the score board. "Check out Jack's life points!"

"Is that the right score?" Dexter asked.

"Yusei won," Rin stated.

"He's the champion now," Luna added.

"Huh?" Yanagi and Leo gaped at them.

' _Oh, Jack…'_ Rin thought as she watched Yusei run to his side.

"Are you ok?!" he asked.

"You beat me. I don't know how you did it, Yusei, but you're the champ now," Jack mumbled painfully.

"If that vision was true, none of this matters, because it looks like we all might lose. We're in danger and our cities might be destroyed. And we have to unite to stop it from happening."

"You always wanted to be a hero. Now here's your chance," Jack uttered before he lost consciousness.

"Has anyone heard from the director?!" the announcer asked in a panic. His tone changed suddenly though. "It's over! Yusei is our Winner! From the refuge of refuse he rose, from the slums of Satellite, he now reigns supreme. I proudly present New Domino City's newest Hero: Yusei Fudo!"

Rin frowned. _'Yeah, but for how long. If Valkyria is right, our next challenge is right around the corner. And it'll be the most dangerous thing we've faced yet.'_


	15. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

 **Disclaimer:** I DO NOT own _Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's_ or anything pertaining to it. I only own Rin.

* * *

After Yusei's victory, Rin and the others had made their way down to meet Yusei on the track. As they approached, they saw Jack being loaded into an ambulance and angry fans in the crowd hurling insults at Yusei. Rin had wanted to give them a piece of her mind, but she didn't get the chance.

"Yusei!" Leo called when they got closer.

"Hey, guys! Everyone okay?" Yusei asked as we stopped in front of him.

"We're fine, but you're about to face a brand new enemy," Yanagi explained.

"The Media!" he and Rin said as they pointed to a group of reporters nearby. The paparazzi were acting crazy, pushing and shoving in an attempt to get close and swarm Yusei with questions.

"They're loose!" Leo shouted as the horde knocked down the metal fence that had been holding them back.

Yusei clearly hadn't expected the rabid swarm of attention from the media. Rin thought he actually looked a bit scared when he realized the situation he was in. She didn't blame him, though, she had been horrified the first time they had swarmed her as well. Thankfully, Tanner, who was pushing Yusei's runner, came to the rescue. "Better rev it up," he said, snapping Yusei from his shock.

"Coming." With that, the group began following Tanner as he lead them off the track and into some underground tunnels that the reporters were unaware of.

"Where are we?" Dexter asked as they walked.

"This is an abandoned service tunnel," Tanner explained.

"Cool. Hey Tanner, how'd you know this was down here?" he asked again.

"A guy like me knows these things," he replied. "That, and Blister told me."

"I have no idea what happened to you in that light, but I'm just thrilled that you won the tournament!" Yanagi said changing the subject.

"I knew you could do it, Yusei!" Leo added. "You're the best duelist I've ever seen! You're, like, my hero!"

"Forget the tournament," Tanner said, raining on the boy's parade. "The whole thing was a setup on Goodwin's part. Let's not forget, the only reason Yusei agreed to duel was 'cause Goodwin captured his friends. Until we figure out what the whole story is, we should all lay low at Blister's hideout."

"Leo and Luna, you should probably stay with us, too. I'm sure the media will be swarming your apartment trying to get an interview," Rin suggested.

"Are you serious? Awesome!" Leo exclaimed, having apparently ignored her statement about the media. "It'll be like sleep-away camp, only even better!"

Rin and Yusei couldn't help but smile at the boy's antics. Then Luna spoke up. "Yusei, I don't know how, but Rin and I were able to see inside that weird light. We saw you guys dueling and…"

"Huh?" Yusei asked when she paused.

"We saw the Satellite being destroyed," Rin finished for her.

"That was the future, wasn't it?" Luna asked.

"I don't know, but if that was some kind of vision of the future, then we have to stop it from happening," Yusei answered.

"Hm," Luna agreed. "What is a Signer?"

"Allow me, Luna!" Yanagi said, startling both her and Rin. "I can tell you everything there is to know! But before I explain what a Signer is, I'll have to give you some backstory by thrilling you with tales of my numerous archeological adventures around the world!"

"Um, ok." Luna replied, while Rin smiled softly.

' _If Yanagi knows about the Signers, maybe he'll have some idea what the spider in that vision was. Or about the evil Valkyria mentioned,'_ Rin thought to herself. _'Hopefully, we can figure it out before it's too late.'_

oXo

Yanagi sat at a table in Blister's hideout, humming a tune only he knew as he drew "the key to my explanation of the signers", as he had called it earlier. Everyone else had gathered around to watch. "Now, bear in mind that I'm not an artist," he began, "and I only saw it the one time, but the dragon seal looks something like this."

Yusei and Rin both gasped in recognition when they saw it.

"That's the dragon's head," Yusei said, though more to himself than anyone else.

"What... what is it? What about the head?" Leo asked.

"Look," Yusei said as he showed them his mark.

"It looks just like the drawing," Rin thought aloud.

"Hey, Luna, let's see your mark," Leo suggested in response. Luna pushed up her right sleeve to reveal her own mark, which resembled one of the claws. "So Luna's mark looks like the claw thingy. What's that mean?"

"According to legend, The Crimson Dragon's head…wings…hands…legs…and tail… were split into five parts and then sealed away as marks on the original Signers. The marks were then passed down through the generations," Yanagi explained.

"But right now, we only know about four Signers," Tanner pointed out. "So how was the Crimson Dragon summoned if only four of them are gathered?"

"I guess the fifth Signer must have been somewhere in that arena," Yanagi answered.

"And I'm willing to bet that Goodwin already knows who it is, too," Rin added.

"So Luna's a Signer. Jack's a Signer. Akiza's a Signer. And Yusei's a Signer. So who's the other one? Maybe it's me, maybe I have a mark somewhere!" Leo asked as he searched his own body, trying to find a mark of his own.

Luna looked back at the dragon seal once more. Suddenly, she swayed and began falling backward. Luckily, Yanagi was close enough to catch her. "Whoa there. Whoa!" he exclaimed as he caught her.

"Is she okay?!" Yusei asked worriedly.

"Luna!" Rin and Leo both cried out.

"Luna, what's wrong!?" Leo asked, panic beginning to seep into his voice.

"It's nothing, I'm… I'm just a little tired or something," she answered, trying to calm her brother down.

"Well, that's understandable," Tanner said. "We've all had a crazy couple of days. Let's try to get some rest."

oXo

Rin sat by one of the hideout windows watching the night sky. "Rin? Is something bothering you?" Yusei asked as he sat down beside.

Rin turned to him and smiled. "I should be asking you that question. Can't sleep?"

"No. After all that's happened, what we saw in that vision, I couldn't sleep if tried. You?"

"Same. Between the vision, what Yanagi told us, my own sense of foreboding, not to mention worrying about how Jack is doing. There's too much plaguing my mind to get any rest."

"Speaking of that vision, how come you were able to see it? Luna and Akiza I could understand since their also Signers, but what about you?"

"I've been wondering about it myself. The only thing I could think of was that I was in physical contact with Luna when it happened."

"I guess. Makes about as much sense as anything else around here, at least." Rin nodded in response before Yusei changed the subject. "So, how do think Akiza's doing?"

"Kinda hard to say. After everything she went through during this whole thing, I imagine she probably has a lot of thinking to do. Still, though, I bet she's doing better than we are. At least she can sleep, as exhausted as she was." Rin grinned devilishly. "Why do ya ask?"

"No reason, really. Just curious. A little worried considering how our duel ended."

"Just a little worried? You sure it wasn't something else?"

"What are you getting at Rin?"

"Don't play dumb with me Yusei. Everyone else in that stadium may have been too focused on the feuding dragons to notice, but not me. I heard you call her "beautiful". I know I asked you to help her, but I never said anything about flirting with her in the process."

Yusei stumbled over his words a bit as he adamantly denied Rin's accusations. The keen-eyed young woman, however, couldn't help but notice the light shade of red that flushed his cheeks as he did so.

Rin chuckled softly and rolled her eyes. "Sure, whatever you say, Yus. Whatever you say." She quickly changed the subject, though. Asking about what she had missed after she left. The two "siblings" continued to talk for some time like that until Yusei's and Luna's marks began to glow.

Rin and Yusei looked out the window to the ground below where a man in a black cloak stood, looking up at them. What really caught their attention though was the glowing mark on his arm. It glowed with an eerie, almost sinister pale-purple light in the all-to-familiar shape of a spider.

' _That mark! It looked just like…'_ before she could think further on the matter she noticed Yusei heading for the door. "Yusei…where are you going?"

"I'm gonna try and figure out what's going on and who this guy is. Rin, I want you stay here and keep an eye on things while I'm gone."

"Alright, but be careful," she said as he left. Rin turned back to the window to see the man had begun running away. "I have a bad feeling about this…" she mumbled.

' _Valkyria.'_

" _Yes, Milady?" the duel spirit asked as it appeared at her mistress' side._

' _That man, he had the same spider mark that we saw in that vision. Is he the Evil you spoke of before?'_

" _I do not believe so. While he bares the same mark, he did not have the same dark aura as the Evil that threatens both our worlds. It is likely the poor man is just a pawn or a victim being controlled and manipulated by the Evil."_

' _Perhaps. Still, the fact that he is here means that the Evil is making its move. The battle will soon begin then.'_

" _That is correct, Milady."_

" _Then I fear for us all,"_ Rin whispered.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hi everyone! I'm really sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. I've been having computer problems, but I won't go into detail here. (I already ranted on my profile page.) All I can say is that technology does not like me sometimes. Hopefully, though, this won't happen again. Also, I can assure you the next chapter will not take so long.

One little nitpick I have with this chapter that I have to point out (some else will say something if I don't) is that during the part where they're taking about the Dragon Seal and the Signers, Yusei refers to his mark as the Dragon's head. I believe this was an error in translation/localization. Yusei's mark at this point in the show is the dragon's tail, not the head. His mark does change to the head at the end of the Dark Signer Arc, but that is jumping the gun at this point. Again, this is just a nitpick of mine, it probably makes no difference to anyone, but I wanted to point it out anyway. Thanks and love you all!


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